A ZVISHAVANE rural school Matenda Primary gave a spirited performance last Friday after trouncing nine schools (urban and rural) to win a ticket to represent Midlands Province in the National Traditional Dance Competition to be held in Harare in a fortnight.
ALLIEWAY NYONI Own Correspondent The provincial competitions were held at Maglas Hall by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as part of its edutainment curriculum to uphold and reserve cultural values among young children through dance and music.
Matenda Primary School defended their title after performing the Mhande dance that is popular among the vaKaranga people who dwell in the Southern part of the Midlands and Masvingo provinces.
The school’s traditional dance leader and teacher James Hakunavanhu said he was delighted as their hard work had been rewarded and they were looking forward to be national champions.
“The competition was tough this year with schools from Gokwe and Gweru threatening, but our hard work prevailed,” he said.
“I believe this year we will become national champions due to experience in the competitions for the last three years.”
Hakunhavanhu said they dedicated their victory to the late Zimbabwe National Traditional Practicioners’ Council vice-president Fanuel Nyashanu who passed away three months ago.
“Today’s award is dedicated to our national and specifically local traditional hero Sekuru Nyashanu who died a few months back. Nyashanu was one person who encouraged us to safeguard traditional values,” Hakunavanhu said.
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Chief Masunda was most ecstatic of all chiefs present at the gathering saying Matenda’s victory was aided by cultural events that are frequently done in areas such as Matenda, Guruguru, Mabasa, Korogwe among others where traditional and sacred shrines still exist.
“I am really delighted. Matenda has done us proud. The secret behind their victory is the existence of sacred traditional shrines that include Korogwe Gorge and Guruguru Mountain, among other places, where people occasionally uphold traditional ceremonies to appease the ancestors,” he said.
Schools performed various traditional dances such as jikinya, muchongoyo, jerusarema, bira, mbende among others.
