North West Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation

ACSR PROMOTES THE CULTURE OF READING IN SOUTH AFRICAN LANGUAGES   By: Edith Mogapi  Thuto Molefe from "Dintswa Tsa Teng Book Club" reviewing a book "Nna Sejane Kokobela" written y K.E Ntsane during Funda Mzantsi Championship.   Photo : Kabelo Selebogo Barack Obama once said: “Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you.” The quote could well have been the inspiration in Rustenburg recently when book clubs from across the North West Province participated in the 11th Annual National Funda Mzantsi Championships (FMC) competition. The FMC is a book-reading competition aimed at stimulating and encouraging reading on a continuous basis. The competition is also aimed at promoting literacy and reading for enjoyment. The provincial Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation (Acsr) hosted the other eight provinces, as well as the Department of Correctional Service (DCS). The event was held under the auspices of the National Li...

LEHURUTSHE WOMEN MARCHERS HONOURED WITH A MONUMENT   By Maboni Kgabi MEC Tlhapi inspecting the monument honouring the 1956 Lehurutshe women marchers. Photo : Maboni Kgabi Recognising and honouring the women who fought for the liberation of South Africa is one aspect in our history government cannot over look. These were the words of MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation (Acsr), Mme Virginia Tlhapi, during the provincial Women’s Day celebration 2021 in Lehurutshe. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of a monument in Welbedacht, Lehurutshe, to honour the local women who marched against Pass Laws in 1956. They were brutally stopped by the police on their way to hand over their demands to the Commissioner in Zeerust. The event was a collaboration between Acsr and Tlhako Ya Pele, a cultural and historic research institute based in Zeerust. The monument is situated at the spot where the marches were forcefully stopped. The day was celebrated under the theme: “The year of C...

TEAM NORTH WEST WIN SEVEN MEDALS AT NATIONAL INDIGENOUS GAMES 2021 By: Kabelo Selebogo North West Male Khokho team celebrate after winning silver medal at the National Indigenous Games Festival in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Photo by : Kabelo Selebogo Team North West bagged five silver and two bronze medals at the 15th edition of the National Indigenous Games Festival (IGF) hosted in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal from September 24-29. The North West medal tally comprises silvers in khokho males, khokho females, jukskie male, kgati, intonga female junior, and bronzes in dibeke and ncuva. The overall performance of the team secured them sixth position while KZN were crowned national IGF champs, Western Cape finished second and Gauteng third. Two-time national Indigenous Games medallist Gadifele Serame’s outstanding performance saw her scoop a bronze medal in female ncuva after winning seven matches against seven provinces and lost only one game - earning a total 60 out of 72 points.   “T...

  MABUZA LAUNCHES VOOMA VACINATION IN NW By : Kabelo Selebogo Deputy President, David Mabuza delivering keynote address recently at Royal Bafokeng Stadium during the official launch of Vooma Vaccination Weekend .  Photo by : Kabelo Selebogo Deputy President David Mabuza officially launched the Vooma Vaccination Weekend in 2021 in Rustenburg. He was accompanied by North West Premier Bushy Maape and Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation (Acsr) MEC Galebekwe Tlhapi. Vooma Vaccination Weekends aim to mobilise citizens and people living in South Africa to get vaccinated as a means to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was supported by top artists from the North West and around the country, including Grammy-award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo and musician-cum-media personality Stoan Seate. Interacting with Rustenburg residents Deputy President Mabuza urged members of the public to vaccinate and make use of mobile vaccinations centres.  “Vaccination is our only chance to re...

MEC TLHAPI LAUDS MOKOKA FOR CAPE TOWN MARATHON VICTORY By Vusi Kama KING OF CAPE TOWN : Mahikeng-born Stephen Mokoka has once again won the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. Photo credit: Chris Hitchcock   North West Province Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation (Acsr) MEC Mme Virginia Tlhapi has congratulated local long distance sensation Stephen “Tshipi’’ Mokoka on his top finish in the 2021 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon title recently. The Mafikeng-born runner romped home with the R200 000 prize money, after breaking away to lead the star-studded pack of international competitors from just before the 40km mark. At the finish line, the pride of South African road running had clocked 02:10.01, being the only Mzantsi runner in the top five. Mokoka still holds the current course record with his 2018 win in the same race (02:08.31). “This is an incredible achievement for a lad from Ramatlabama,’’ said Mme Tlhapi. “Over the years, Tshipi has been doing well in athletics and is a good ex...

FESTIVAL SUCCESS A BOOST FOR NW  MOVIE INDUSTRY By Vusi Kama   THE SCRIBE: Mahikeng movie scriptwriter Tshenolo Mabale was one of the participants at the Rustenburg Film Festival With the resounding success of the Rustenburg Film Festival (RFF) recently (2021), all indications are that the movie industry in the North West is on an upward trajectory. The Province is fast claiming its stake in the country’s multi-million-dollar trade. In its second year under its new identity (previously it was the Bojanala Film Week), the RFF has already gone the international route, attracting attention from as far as the USA, Brazil, Britain, Spain, Cameroon, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Botswana. The Festival comprised Masterclasses and screenings at Ster Kinekor. The RFF is supported by the Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation (Acsr), as the main sponsor. About 100 young and budding filmmakers benefited from the three-day event. During the Festival, they were exposed to a ...

NORTH WEST SCOOP FIVE AWARDS AT THE SATMA  AWARDS IN MBOMBELA By : Kabelo Selebogo Nomtiti Manager and Dancer delivers acceptance speech after Nomtiti winning Best Traditional Music Artist/Group of the year at the SATMA Awards 2021 in Mbombela. Photo credit : Thobani Khanyile North West Province traditional music artists and arts practitioners took home five awards at the 16 th edition of South African Traditional Music Achievement (Satma) Awards ceremony on Saturday (November 27) in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.   The glittering awards ceremony was held under the theme My Culture, Your Culture, One Nation. Chief Director for Arts, Culture, Libraries and Archives, Thabo Mabe from North West Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation (ACSR) walked away with Best Provincial Cultural Affairs Chief Director for a sterling job at the Department. Previously, under Mabe’s guidance, the Satmas had a highly-successful three-year run in Mahikeng, earning the Province praise from the or...

ACSR HONOURS SETSWANA PRACTIONERS   By Vusi Kama                   The Throne actor Seipati Setswakae Motshwane receiving                    her award on the night. (Photo credit : Vusi Kama) Fifteen Setswana language practitioners were recently honoured by the Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation (Acsr) at a special event in Rustenburg. The honoured personalities included authors, publishers, television and radio scriptwriters and actors. They were each given a certificate of appreciation, signed by MEC Virginia Tlhapi, and a cheque of R15 000. “The idea is to recognise the valuable efforts of the Setswana language practitioners in contributing towards the development of the language,’’ said MEC Tlhapi. ‘’We developed these awards to inspire young and budding writers to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors.’’ Those honoured were Jack Bahumi Leseyane,...