UMGUBHO YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FESTIVAL

The Inanda Dam area is set to come alive in towards the end of September with the presentation of the first uMgubho Youth Empowerment Festival.

The festival is an annual international sporting and cultural event in celebration of indigenous knowledge systems promoted through modern and contemporary cultural‐arts and sports activities in South Africa.

This international festival, expected to draw participation from South Africa and neighbouring African countries is set to reposition KZN/Durban as Africa's’ play‐ground, thereby boosting tourism and creating jobs. uMgubho is planned to be on par with other highly successful festivals namely; Eastern Cape National Arts Festival, Free State Mangaung Cultural Festival, Gauteng Arts Alive and the Rio Carnival of Brazil.

The event has been organized by the Maphisa Brothers in partnership with eThekwini Municipality. As a platform for community upliftment, it is a vehicle for poverty alleviation by ways of creating sustainable job opportunities and most importantly, it encourages young people to participate in sports that they not used or exposed to.

Whilst Umgubho Festival main events will be held from September 22 to 23, along Inanda Heritage Route, Presidential Nodal Point, coinciding well with National Heritage and International Tourism month activities, the festival will be launched by a demonstration of mini sporting activities in different relay disciplines of canoeing, running and cycling, traditional dance competition, indigenous games, craft & business exhibition, award ceremony and finally, the music extravaganza.

Participants of the launch will consist of youth drawn from 11 wards around Inanda. As a mechanism for moral regeneration and global cultural exchange, the festival hopes to discover local talents in the various sporting disciplines.

The guests of honour at the event will no doubt be the community members and leaders. Other dignitaries expected to attend will be from various Provincial Government Departments and eThekwini Municipality officials.

uMgubho Festival Project manager, Sibusiso Mlambo says by bringing the festival to Inanda Dam, they will not only fulfill a government mandate to promote community participation in the area but also to develop core skills and infrastructure of the community through promotion of local products. “Everywhere and wherever we host the uMgubho festival it will be a roaring success because it is a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Umgubho Festival runs from September 22 to 23. For more information, contact Sibusiso Mlambo, Project Manager Umghubo Festival on 083 685 4621 or email: maphisabrothers@gmail.com