Mphaphuli Day, which marks the birthday of Thovhele Vho-Gole Mphaphuli, was celebrated in style a fortnight ago at Makuvha Stadium. The activities to celebrate the event included cultural dances, choirs and musical groups.

The guest speaker for the event was Vhavenda King, Toni Mphephu Ramabulana who urged all to be united in the preservation of culture. He encouraged families to teach their young ones the history of the Venda people, where they came from and where they were heading, so that it could not be forgotten.

King Toni described it as sad that children and even some parents seem to be proud of the fact that their children cannot pronounce Venda words, but only speak English at home. “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 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.

King Toni described traditional leaders as the pillars of the communities. “It is important to give them the dignity they deserve. We can build a prosperous nation through faith and dedication, but it is also important to put our differences aside and work towards the same goal of nation building.”

In his address, Thovhele Vho-Gole Mphaphuli talked about how the roles of traditional leaders have changed. “Gone are the days when traditional leaders made important decisions without consulting the masses. Traditional leadership is created by God and it is important to build a united nation before Him. The Bible is the only holy book that can guide us to live cleanly and it is our collective duty to make sure that our nation is living according to the will of God,” he said.

“The scourge of HIV/AIDS and alcohol abuse is destroying the future of our youth and we have to guide them wisely so that they may become responsible future leaders. Alcohol and HIV/AIDS are wiping out our youth and it is only through prayers and the guidance from God that we can defeat the devil. We also need to develop strategies on how we can fight unemployment, hunger and crime, regardless of the denominations to which we belong,” said Mphaphuli.