The 2016 Puku Story Festival started on a high note with a lively community engagement event that featured guest of honour Dr Sindiwe Magona and acclaimed storyteller Gcina Mhlophe.
The 2016 Puku Story Festival started on a high note with a lively community engagement event that featured guest of honour Dr Sindiwe Magona and acclaimed storyteller Gcina Mhlophe.
Organised by Fingo Festival cultural activist Xolile Madinda, the event brought together over fifty community members, mainly from the local Community Work Programme (CWP) of Grahamstown.
Gcina Mhlophe praised Magona for her pioneering role as a black woman writer from South Africa, saying she led the way for many others like her. Sindiwe Magona is lauded around the world and her work is translated into many languages, she said. She emphasised the need to affirm and appreciate our local writers, especially one such as Magona who has written for children in her mother tongue.
The audience was spellbound by Dr Magona’s recounting of her life and experiences. She urged CWP members to be proud of the important work they are doing, especially the cleaning of the environment and the removal of alien trees which she described as “amaveza’ndlebe”, to the amusement of the audience.
Puku organisers are gearing up for over 1 000 schoolchildren who will be visiting the festival over the next two days. They will be treated to award-winning theatre performances, storytelling and poetry sessions.
The Puku Story Festival is taking place at Grahamstown’s Monument. It will end with a special service at St Phillips in Fingo Township on Sunday, 21 February.
