POLOKWANE – The National Heritage Council, in conjunction with the Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, awarded Maine Mashudu Rubson Dima as one of the finalists for the 2021/22 Annual Golden Shield Heritage Awards during a glittering ceremony held at Meropa Casino and Entertainment World in Polokwane.
The 81-year-old Dima hails from Miluwani village outside Thohoyandou and is also the founder of the non-profit organisation called AFYEMD.
He works with schools, communities and academic researchers to promote indigenous knowledge, culture and diversity.
Dima advocates the value of indigenous knowledge systems, the significance of preserving nature, as well as indigenous healing and medicinal plants.
He also impacted the community healthcare services regarding the traditional way of managing diseases and cultural practices, which might have had an influence on the management of diseases such as HIV/aids.
He has practised as an indigenous healer for 60 years, and worked with various universities at international and local level on indigenous knowledge systems, with social workers in the Vhembe region as well as various government departments.
At the ceremony, Dima walked away with a prize of R20 000 as an acknowledgement for the great work he has done in the communities to preserve the rich cultural diverse heritage for future generations.
It was the third National Living Treasure Award that Dima received, and he proudly said the award shows that what he’s doing to promote indigenous knowledge was recognised by the country.
