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Stephen Ephraem Chipinge Correspondent
The fifth edition of the Ndau Festival of Arts was held at Paiyepo Cultural Development and Heritage Centre in Bangira Village in Chikore Communal lands, Chipinge East, on Saturday, with calls for communities to document their culture in this era of digitalisation.

NDAFA is a platform for celebrating cultural aspects like food, clothing, music and dance for learning institutions and out-of-school groups in communities across Zimbabwe. This year’s theme was: “Taking oral into the digital world.” In a speech read on his behalf by the Principal Director in the Ministry of Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage, Dr Biggie Samwanda, Permanent Secretary Mr George Magosvongwe urged communities to use digitalisation to their advantage.

“We are aware that African communities have been heavily depending on oral tradition which has loopholes,” he said. “We need to know that human resources are the fast disappearing resource. So, let us take measures to transfer any Traditional Knowledge System from humans to lifelong digital devices.

“A lot of cultural invasion and corruption has been going on and the Ndau people are not immune. So, I give a challenge to locals to go around documenting every aspect of their culture so that the future will not blame you for betrayal.” Three universities, in addition to various schools from Masvingo and Manicaland provinces, exhibited at the festival.

Also in attendance was Provincial Administrator for Manicaland Mr Edgars Seenza and revered author of Ndau literature Mrs Joyce Simango, who published a 90-page Ndau book, Zviuya Zviri Mberi, in 1974.