The 12th Gcwala Ngamasiko Cultural festival 2016 took place at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown on Sunday this past weekend.
Organised by the African Cultural Music & Dance Association (Acumda), the festival sure closed Africa Month with a bang.
On its 12th year, the festival brought together people from various African countries to celebrate with music and dance.
Music and dance groups from South Africa, Algeria, Swaziland, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Mozambique Senegal, Tanzania and Angola entertained revellers.
The event was sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture and it was aimed at promoting Africanism and unity amongst Africans through arts, heritage and culture.
Benjamin Mfaba who is the projects director at Acumda said the event was all about celebrating being African and promoting unity amongst Africans from Cape to Cairo.
“We are using music and dance to unite Africans because art knows no language and it knows no skin colour. It is not only about art, we have taken it further by having interactive workshops where we discussed issues like self realisation and self identity for us as Africans,” said Mfaba.
The Sunday event was a grand finale of a long programme which started on Thursday last week. The four day programme provided a platform for Africans from different countries to interact and share ideas and knowledge about their respective cultures.
Gcwala Ngamasiko was used by organisers to raise awareness about albino killings which has become widespread in the African continent.
A message from his majesty the Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu condemning albino killings and urging Africans to protect people living with albinism was read.
The event was graced by traditional leaders of various ethnic groups within and outside South Africa.
Mfaba said the core message they wanted to convey to people who attended the event was that everyone has a role to play in making Africa a better place.
