The Western Cape Indigenous Games Festival were officially opened by MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie, on Tuesday September 24 as part of celebrating Heritage Month and Heritage Day.

The three-day event is taking place in Kuils River at the Western Cape Sports School under the theme “My Games. My Roots. My Future. My Heritage.”.

Participating groups come from various districts across the Western Cape such as the Cape Winelands, the Central Karoo, the Garden Route, Overberg, the West Coast and the host, the metropole and there are various games such as Dibeke, Diketo, drie stokkies, iintonga, jukskei, kgati, kho-kho, Morabaraba and ncuva.

These games will end on Thursday.

“Today is not just the start of the three-day festival of celebrating our heritage, culture and excellence, we are here to celebrate our collective heritage and honour the cultural diversity that makes South Africa so unique,” said Mr Mackenzie

He added that these games are not just about sports and recreation but profound connections to our past and commitment to our future.

“It is critically important that we preserve this cultural heritage and keep teaching our young people how to play the games,” said Mr Mackenzie.

He added that the festival is a vibrant reminder during Heritage Month of the rich and diverse cultures making up the Western Cape, a unique province.

“By celebrating indigenous games, we are celebrating the very essence of who we are, where we come from, and the wisdom of those who came before us”, added Mr Mackenzie.

Lucrcia Zahela from Central Karoo participating in Drie Stokkies, which is part of the indiginous games festival that is currently under way at Western Cape Sports School in Kuils River. PICTURE BY BHEKI RADEBEthe

People came out in colourful traditional outfits and chanted during the indigenous games festival opening. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE

Sibongile Macaba (in blue) of Cape Metropole defeated Anam Malinga from the Cape Winelands in the iintonga games. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE

Ikhaya Primary from Stellenbosch, representing the Cape Winelands, performing during the opening of the Western Cape Indigenous Games Festival. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE

Oscar Mpetha High Cchool from Nyanga performing during the opening ceremony of the festival. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE

The team from the Central Karoo playing Kgati during the indigenous games festival, held at the Western Cape Sports School in Kuils River. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE

Mandlakazi Zenzile from the Cape Winelands (in the red helmet) taking on Christolene Makhetha from the Central Karoo (in the blue helmet) where they face off in iintonga. PICTURE: BHEKI RADEBE

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Heritage Day celebrated with indigenous games festival