05 May 08

By Sipho None

CHURCHES and choirs around Mogale City celebrated Freedom Day with a Gospel Music Festival held at the Centenary Hall

The first of its kind in Mogale City, the gospel festival was arranged through the Office of the Speaker and was geared at bringing together choirs and church groups; some came from as far away as Malawi.

More than 500 gospel music lovers attended the festival, celebrating the 14th anniversary of hard-won freedom in South Africa. The incident-free festival was also used as a fundraising venture for the cash-strapped choirs and churches.

Choirs such as the Malawi St Cecilia, Abantwana base Wesile, Full Foundation Church of Christ, Mogale City Local Aids Council Choir and SAPS Choral Choir performed. The gospel festival follows the International World Prayer, held at the hall in February.

The chairman of the organising committee, Pastor Innocent Mlambo, said the event would be an annual occasion, and his team was looking forward to bringing in more choirs and churches in the future.

“We are happy that the people of Mogale City and others from as far as Malawi graced our occasion. This festival will be an annual event and the organising teams will send more invitations to other choirs and church choirs for the next festival.”

Noluthando Mangole, the City’s Speaker, welcomed the choirs and the audience, reminding all of the gains that had been achieved through liberation.

“I’m humbled to stand before you and to be part of this event. This festival means a lot to us and serves to remind us of the gains we have achieved through liberation,” Noluthando said.

“We are celebrating Freedom Day today and it is appropriate to celebrate it through gospel music. We have all contributed towards the democracy that we are celebrating today. However, we still have to overcome certain challenges.”

Mangole said poverty and unemployment were some of these challenges, which all South African had to fight. South Africans could not claim to be free and liberated when there were still families living below the breadline.

“We are celebrating our hard-fought freedom today and that cannot go well with us when we still have families going to bed without food. Also joblessness, unemployment and poverty are still rife and to overcome these challenges all South Africans need to work together towards a common goal of alleviating poverty and unemployment.”

As a token of appreciation for all the performances, the choirs received certificates; some received money. Mlambo cautioned that not all choirs would get cash. “Churches and choirs that have sold the most tickets will get 50 percent of the money, and the rest will cover the cost of the organising, which includes catering for the audience.”