KZN Defend Indigenous Games Tittle
Team KZN has done it again! The Provincial Indigenous Games Team were announced as overall winners of the National Indigenous Games Festival for the 10th consecutive time during the closing ceremony held at the Victoria Mxenge indoor Sports Center in Umlazi.
The 15th edition of the IGs festival was hosted form 24-29 September in different venues throughout eThekwini to obey the Covid-19 regulations especially against overcrowding which also meant there were no public spectators allowed at the venues. It was for the first time since after a long time that the games move out of their traditional home of Limpopo. What is even more interesting is that the festival will be hosted in the KwaZulu-Natal for the next two years as well.
MEC for Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation, Hlengiwe Mavimbela and eThekwini Community Services Chairperson, Ntokozo Sibiya, were at hand to receive the trophy from Sport, Arts and Culture Deputy Minister, Nocawe Mafu. Western Cape took second position, followed by Gauteng in 3rd, Limpopo 4th, Northern Cape 5th, North West 6th, Mpumalanga 7th, Eastern Cape 8th and Free State in 9th position.
KZN team victories include a gold medal Ingqathu (skipping), Khokho males and females (both gold). mlabalaba males (gold), Mlabalaba females (gold & silver), amagenda females (gold & bronze), Amagenda males (gold), Induku junior males (gold), Induku junior females (bronze), Juskei females (silver), Drie stokies females (gold & silver), Drie stokies males (bronze) and Incuva females (silver).
Speaking at the final presentation ceremony MEC Mavimbela made a call that the KwaZulu-Natal be made a permanent home for the Indigenous Games Festival due to the Province’s deep cultural heritage. She said she will lobby the National minister to make a pronouncement in this regard.
Whilst the next games will be hosted in the Province as well, the actual town or district has not been decided yet. The full results breakdown are below: