Nthatuoa Koeshe
LOCAL events company Pabatso Expośe last weekend held a colourful carnival to commemorate Africa Day at Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village.
Africa Day is held on 25 May annually to mark the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union, in 1963. The day is celebrated in various countries on the African continent and around the world.
Lesotho’s Africa Day celebrations comprised of a series of events which started on Friday 24 May 2019 with free rides for the public from Setsoto Stadium to Thaba-Bosiu Mountain for hiking.
Celebration of African day at Thaba Bosiu culturalal village
The hiking was followed by a recreational football game between the senior national soccer team and a select squad of African players based in Lesotho.
The official Africa Day carnival launch party then followed at Cafe What to celebrate Africa Night and to pave way for the main event on Saturday.
“This is a platform where different African cultures come together under one roof to share the concept of Ubuntu,” Pabatso Expośe head of logistics, ‘Mantsoaki Moorosi, said.
“Today we are celebrating Africa Day and we thought it was ideal to celebrate with our brothers and sisters from other countries who reside in Lesotho.”
Although the event was the first to be held at Thaba Bosiu, it was the fourth as they have previously held it at Victoria Hotel.
The event was packed with entertainment activities which included poetry by Siphiwe Nzima, fashion, live music by Mookho Moqhali, Puseletso Seema and the African Unity Band.
There were also arts and crafts exhibitions among them a Lesotho produced beer called Kangfong, cosmetics from local manufacturer Nature’s Pride Products, Limomonane Canned Peaches and Jam as well as jewellery from Jewels of Hope among others.
There was also food tasting from over nine different African countries which included Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa
‘Mantsoaki said the focus of the event was to introduce other communities from across the globe, to the beauty of African tradition.
She said the event was also crucial for the facilitation of networking in a sociable dignified environment.
