Dorothy Zaaiman told the Herald that a non-profit organisation (NPO) has been established by herself and two other women, Veronica Liebenberg and Lindsay Coetzee. Their aim is to develop the festival to become a premier event on the calendar in the Mopani district and Limpopo province.

Zaaiman said the festival will create a platform to launch the NPO, called Mopani Arts, with the hope of eventually establishing a dedicated arts centre. “We want to source new talent, do skills development in the arts arena, present singing lessons, and teach fine arts,” she said. To do this, their first event is the arts festival planned for four days from Wednesday, July 5 to Saturday, July 8. “Although we have started the initiative, we want it to be community driven,” she said.

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They have already invited twelve well-known artists to perform and eight local singers have committed to perform. They are also planning to have an art gallery during the festival which will close with an auction of works exhibited. Zaaiman said they have contacted schools in the area who have given them their support. Stalls will only sell handcrafted items and a local dance academy will give performances.

“We are planning to have four stand-up comedians and magicians who will interact directly with audiences.” At the moment they still have to secure a venue but are looking to host it at the Showgrounds in Tzaneen. To learn more about this initiative, visit the website www.mopaniarts.org for more information and contact details.