Martin Muleya
Excitement is building up in Mutasa district, Manicaland province, as preparations for the Herbert Chitepo Community Festival are nearing completion.
The festival, now in its 12th year, is set to take place this weekend at Bonda grounds.
The Herbert Chitepo Trust, which organizes the event, has been working tirelessly to ensure that this year’s festival is bigger and better. The festival’s event director Tendai Muzarawetu expressed his excitement about the upcoming event.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the Herbert Chitepo Community Festival once again. This event is a celebration of our community’s talents, as well as our country’s rich liberation and cultural heritage. The HCT was established to promote the values and legacy of the late Zimbabwe national hero, Advocate Herbert Wilshire Pfumaindini Chitepo, who was a practising lawyer, who became a prominent nationalist and leading architect of the struggle for liberation of Zimbabwe. The festival attracts over 2 500 participants and has become an important day for embracing community talents although the festival’s purpose is to commemorate Unity Day in December as well as the legacies of Herbert and Dr. Victoria Chitepo,” explained Muzarawetu.
The festival will feature a wide range of activities including music and dance performances, poetry recitals and traditional games. Local artists and craftspeople will also be showcasing their wares, providing a unique opportunity for festival-goers to purchase handmade crafts.
One of the highlights of the festival is the annual Herbert Chitepo Memorial Lecture. The lecture will focus on the life and legacy of Herbert Chitepo, a leading figure in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
The festival will also include a number of community-driven initiatives, modelling, a health and wellness fair. These initiatives are designed to promote community development and social cohesion.
According to the festival’s coordinator Tonderai Elion Musapatika, the Herbert Chitepo Community Festival has become an important part of the local calendar.
“This event brings our community together and provides a platform for us to celebrate our shared heritage. This year the festival is different from the past years because we are engaging more partners as well as penetrating into the community about the purpose of the event. We have secured partners who are more than capable to assist us.
“The festival will be a transformation and an eye opener for our youths as will be a springboard for success. We have multi-purpose court facility which was constructed through the influence of HCT and it’s helping the community for playing different sport codes,” said Musapatika.
The festival will be free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to attend. With its rich cultural program, exciting activities and community-driven initiatives, the Herbert Chitepo Community Festival is an event not to miss.
