Students embrace their heritage

Monitor residence students represent the Swati culture. They perform a traditional dance during the Heritage Day celebrations at the Pretoria West campus on September 25.

Photo by Robert Mabusela

An empty parking lot behind Denise residence at the Pretoria West campus was abuzz with traditional activities when students celebrated Heritage Day on Sunday, September 25.

 During the run up to Heritage Day, students were asked to choose their proffered culture that they would like to represent. All South African cultures and other foreign cultures from Congo, India, and China were also featured.Residence students donned their traditional outfits and played traditional games, prepared traditional dishes such as Lingalo (cassava leaves also known as ponda) and Kwanga, a Congolese traditional porridge. They show cased their diverse performances behind Denise residence.

 Fires were burning while a rich aroma of traditional food provokes appetite and nostalgia. The event  encouraged students  not to forget their cultures eventhough they are away from home,  “We try to adapt the university culture but we must never forget where we come from,” said Ishara Singh a member of the task team. Lezard residents had the opportunity to explore a variety of Congolese cultures, Lingala, Kitongo, Chiluba, and Swahili cultures.Students competed in indigenous games such as “Mgush”, “Diketo”, “Khati” (rope skipping).

 At the end of the Heritage day, celebration points allocated to different residences were summed up and positions were given according to the number of points received by the residences. The Indian ladies from Minjonet emerged as the winners in the female residence category while Monitor, representing the Swati culture won the male residence category.

By Robert Mabusela