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News - Date: 15 September 2011
There is no culture that is superior to another, said Premier Cassel Mathale during the Lemba Cultural Association´s Annual Conference, that was held at Sweetwaters outside Elim on Saturday, 10 September.
Mathale said that people should not feel inferior because they belonged to a particular cultural group. "We must use our own indeginous languages to communicate. Our children must know that the first language they must master is their mother tongue," he said.
Mathale added that it was important for people to know and appreciate their respective origins. He said that it was good to see that although the Lemba people were spread across Limpopo and South Africa, they were still able to come together under one roof with a common purpose.
"You have passed through many stages while building this cultural group, and you must have consistent programmes which tell the story of the Lemba people. Your rich history deserves to be saved in the National Archives and Records, for the benefits of your descendants," Mathale told the conference.
Mathale, who is also a Lemba, urged people to use heritage month to remember and celebrate their identity.
Lembas from all over the world, including the USA, Zimbabwe and South Africa, attended the conference.
According to the president of the Lemba Cultural Association, Mushavhi Vho-Johannes Musandiwa Mungulwa, the conference was meant to unite the Lemba people. "This is a kind of gathering that we have every year. Lembas from all over the world come here every year to celebrate our culture together," he said.
He added that the Lembas respected other people´s culture. Lembas are the ones who are said to have started with initiation schools in the country. Mungulwa encouraged people to get circumsised in order to prevent diseases.
The theme for the conference was " Know your identity."
Peter Muthambi graduated from the University of Venda with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies. He started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror as well as national papers in 2006. He loves investigative journalism and is also a very keen photographer.
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