The annual Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival sponsors, Delta Beverages, have been forced to reduce the provincial winners’ prizes and change the registration criteria for this year’s edition of the dance showcase to contain costs.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
For the previous years, aspiring participants would register and subscribe for the festival through the Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association (ZNTDA), who are the event’s co-ordinator, in partnership with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ).
However, with the new format, the registration of the groups is now being co-ordinated by the sponsors and the groups will be required to purchase two Chibuku Super six packs at any Delta Beverages Centre (DBC), fill in an entry form and attach a receipt onto it with the group’s required information and drop it into the entry box provided at any DBCs.
While efforts to get a comment from Chibuku brand manager, Karen Dhliwayo were fruitless, ZNTDA’s Nyadzisayi Mirisawu confirmed the developments, saying, although they value the sponsors’ decision and appreciate their support of the festival, they felt, as the custodians of the groups, should have registered through their association.
“They are geared to start the programme on May 13 with the groups also preparing for the festival. However, this year there are slight changes as the groups will now get the registration forms from Delta’s breweries in their areas as per the sponsor’s request,” she said.
“For the groups to register, they have to buy two Chibuku Super six packs and fill in their details and drop them in entry boxes for the adjudication process that will be done at our mother body, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.”
Mirisawu also confirmed that the prize money for the top three groups from the provincial contest had been slashed from $500 to $300 for the overall winners while the second placed will pocket $200 instead of $300 with those to occupy third position set to receive $150 from the previous $200.
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She said the national finals’ prizes remain unchanged with the winners dancing their way to a $7 000 bank balance and a recording contract, while the second and third-placed will pocket $5 000 and $3 000 respectively.
Various traditional dance groups are set to battle it out at their respective provinces from May 13 to July 22 to book the sole ticket to the national finals set for August 5 at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.
The festival will kickstart in Mashonaland East on May 13, before spreading to other provinces with Mashonaland Central hosting it on May 27, Harare on June 3 and Matabeleland South on June 10.
Mashonaland West will host its contest on June 17, Masvingo on June 24, Midlands on July 1, before going to Bulawayo on July 8 with Manicaland and Matabeleland North being the last to host the competitions on July 15 and July 22, respectively.
