It was a spectacle truly worthy of the Festival as poets, writers and storytellers from around the Eastern Cape and beyond paraded the streets of Grahamstown bearing placards in all 11 South African languages that read, "tickle your language lobes".
It was a spectacle truly worthy of the Festival as poets, writers and storytellers from around the Eastern Cape and beyond paraded the streets of Grahamstown bearing placards in all 11 South African languages that read, "tickle your language lobes".
They sang, ululated and declaimed through the streets, all the way to the Drostdy Arch – symbolic, the marchers said, because it marked the entrance to the University, from which black Africans had been excluded under apartheid.
Praise poets from Cacadu, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Alfred Nzo District, Amatola District, Chris Hani District and OR Tambo District, dressed in traditional African ensembles representing their respective totems, burst into praise, each reciting in their vernacular.
"In African culture praise poets are required to wear iminweba (outfits made from animal skin) each outfit is a representation of the poet's totem," explained Yakobi Sixam, himself adorned an garment made of leopard skin.
At the Drostdy Arch, the placards were put into a grass basket, along with poems and short stories to be published in journal, Isivivane, which will be available in selected bookshops in the next two weeks.
Handing the basket to Temba Mona the Director of Arts and Culture, team leader of the organisation Eastern Cape Writers, Sonwabile Mfecane, encouraged artists to continue writing, even when private publishers turned them down.
The march was part of Wordfest, which was intended not only to encourage people to take pride in speaking the vernacular, but also to develop a population of readers and writers.
Amongst the many prominent writers attending Wordfest was prolific author Sindiwe Magona (To My Children's Children, among many others) who emphasised the importance of knowing and speaking one's language fluently.
"People often associate English with knowledge, I am here to tell you that English is a language and not knowledge.
"Now that we have the freedom that we have thirsted for for so long, it does not mean we should lose our heritage.''
Performances by storytellers and comedians added to the excitement of the event.
