THE Indlondlo Cultural Village from the Valley of a Thousand Hills was announced as the winner of the Preferred Heritage Destination by the National Heritage Council (NHC) at the 12th Annual Shield Heritage Awards held recently in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

The Golden Shield Heritage Awards honour individuals, organisations, and communities who have made significant contributions towards the preservation, protection, and promotion of South Africa’s cultural heritage – recognising grassroots heritage champions and unsung heroes and promoting nation building and social cohesion through heritage.

“We are very excited that finally the National Heritage Council has recognised us,” said Msizeni Mngadi, the founder of Indlondlo Zulu Dancers, a non-profit organisation that performs and teaches cultural dances and practices in the rural areas of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, KwaNyavu, Mkhambathini and surrounding areas.

Mngadi said their village was founded in 2018 when a local chief granted them the land.

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Speaking about the group, he said it was established in 2010 through gathering young boys together to perform the Zulu dance (ukusina) with the warrior dance (indlamu) being introduced later.

Mngadi created the structure, dance materials such as drums and sticks and the attire, entering competitions, and providing free entertainment, which was and still is their strong point – doing it for the love of it, not necessarily for compensation.

He said the group is not just about dance performances.

“Indlondlo Cultural Village provides cultural experiences: people can stay and immerse themselves in Zulu culture for the day, or for several days. There’s a rondavel, Wendy house and camping and caravanning options (bring your linen, blanket), all in tranquil surroundings overlooking the Msunduzi River.

“We initially developed without government support, using performance fees and my own income,” said Mngadi, “and, so, many people came to know of our work – and then, recently, we received a letter saying we were finalists in the Shield Heritage Awards.”

Winning the Shield Heritage Awards is a reward for forwarding the objectives of Indlondlo Cultural Village.

These include having a direct impact on youth education in cultural activities; teaching and instilling respect of one another to young and old, establishing youth development programmes in all arts; promoting social activities that keep youth away from bad influences; educating youth about the importance of education and disadvantages of teenage pregnancy; living a positive life with good purposes and dreams, and to create jobs in the community; to exchange traditional outfits with other nations; and show the importance of tradition and customs and create means for the cultural village to welcome people from around the world to experience the warmth of South Africa.

Importantly, the village aims to bring about change in the way today’s youth look at cultural and yesteryear activities. “Traditional dances and related activities are perceived as barbaric by certain youth and we are changing that, so they see the value of keeping our history alive,” added Mngadi.

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