The Radzambo Cultural Foundation, in partnership with Limpopo SABC Combo, will host a traditional-dance competition at Mulenzhe Sports Grounds, starting on Saturday, 29 January.

Elderly and young people from different cultural groups within the Xitsonga, Bapedi and Vhavenda tribes will compete in different traditional dances. The elimination of the Vhavenda dances (Tshigombela and Malende) takes place at Mulenzhe on Saturday (29 January), while the Pedi dances (Kiba, Visa, Basadi Bastep, Marashia, Magagasi and Dinaka) will be held on 5 February, at Moletjie Moshate.

On 12 February, the Tsonga dances (Maxaxasi, Xicaicai, Xigubu, Xibelani, Muchongolo and Kutauza) will take place at Bungeni Stadium. The Tshikona (Vhavenda) dance elimination will be held on 19 February at the Thengwe Grounds.

The top five groups in each of the categories will participate in the final round, which takes place on 12 March at Makhuvha Stadium.

Vhamusanda Vho-Livhuwani Matsila from the Radzambo Cultural Foundation said that the foundation encouraged projects in Africa that promoted cultural activities. “People must start to practice our culture of being proud, so that our children will grow up knowing their identity,” he said. He said that in a democratic country such as South Africa, no culture was inferior to another.

Matsila criticised parents who do not teach their children their own vernacular. He urged everyone to be united in the preservation of their culture and encouraged families to teach their young ones the history of the Venda people, so that it would not be forgotten. Matsila described the fact that some parents seemed to be proud of the fact that their children cannot pronounce Venda words because they only speak English at home as sad. “Let us invest in our children and, by doing so, we will be investing in the future of the country,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of special cultural days and said that “a nation without respect for its culture is doomed and has no future”. “Other nations have their special days to celebrate their culture. We cannot be left behind, and we will continue to be in the forefront of cultural revival,” he said.

The marketing manager of SABC Limpopo Combo, Ms Rudzani Mashamba, said that the three local radio stations were serious about restoring culture and indigenous knowledge. She commended Chief Matsila for coming up with the initiative to revive culture through traditional dances.

According to Mashamba, culture and tradition are the foundation on which the prosperity of each nation starts. She appealed to the youth to respect elderly people and stressed the fact that immorality is the enemy of traditional leaders, since people have moved away from good morals.

“We are mixed culturally, and we do not want the children to forget their roots and shy away from their culture,” she said.