Wandisile’s Plett
A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.
We came, we braai’d and we danced because – Heritage!
About a hundred or so Kwano residents flocked to Sishuba Street, the main street of Kwano, to celebrate heritage day, and I caught the glimpse of the activities.
The 24th of September is heritage day in South Africa and South Africans never run short of ways to express their culture, be it food, clothes, dance or music – the people living in the Southern tip of Africa are just proud people.
The people of Plett were not to be left behind. This free heritage event was organised by Kwano Crime Prevention Unit, a community-led organisation with the sole mission of stamping out crime in this part of Plett.
The day was colourful with people wearing traditional clothes such as ‘imibhaco’, which is a traditional garment most worn by women at such cultural events. These differ from tribe to tribe but because Kwano has a large isiXhosa speaking population, theirs was the most dominant.
Food stalls by local traders lined up offering a mix of traditional and township food at affordable prices. Samp and beans going with tripe is considered traditional, while iKota (stuffed half bread, almost like a bunny chow) is considered a township relish because of its streetwise rap. These and other delicacies were on offer.
To complete the package, music and dance are always a major feature. Women and children dance groups performed traditional dance moves, while local artists mesmerised the crowds with praise poetry and music.
At least for half a day, people here forgot about the world’s problems, and they were transferred to a state of happiness which, after more than six months restricted due to lockdown, seemed like an impossible future.
Pictures are by Blaq X, who doubles as a photographer and is one of the leading rappers of the Hip Hop group, Main Fact, which is another cultural explosion that is emerging out of Kwano.
