Arts and Culturel Correspondent
FAMOUS Princess Andile Mabhena of the Ndebele Manala Royal Family from Mpumalanga, South Africa, is among the high profile international traditional leaders expected at the inaugural Tshitaudze Heritage Festival at the weekend.
Two other chiefs including Venda’s Chief Mavhunga and another chief have together with Princess Mabhena already confirmed their attendance in what promises to be a three-day extravaganza of traditional expo.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday evening Chief VhoTshitaudze born, David Mbedzi, who is the convener and brains behind the event, said the Tshitaudze Heritage Festival expects hosting thousands of people.
The function is the start of an annual event.
“The Tshitaudze Heritage Festival is taking place at the Tshitaudze Cultural Village in Beitbridge District from September 25 to 27, 2026, serving as a major local celebration of indigenous heritage,” he said.
“Some traditional leaders from South Africa including Princess Mabhena, Chief Mavhunga and yet another chief will join us and have confirmed attendance,” said Chief VhoTshitaudze.
Several other chiefs in Zimbabwe and traditional leaders are expected at the heritage festival where more than a dozen artists will feature.
Preparations are at an advanced stage, he said, and cultural lessons will be shared throughout the festival with resource persons from the province’s raibow population expected.
School choldren who now have a heritage based curriculum will immensely benefit from lessons on the Venda, Sotho Tshangani and other Beitbridge cultures while people will be introduced to sacred places of Beitbridge.
Beitbridge is home to the Dulivhadzimu Pool, a sacred site for initial rain-making ceremonies before people travelled to the Njelele site of Matobo where the regional ceremonies were held.
Other sites are the Jompempe Mountain, Mawale Hills and another huge pool near the Shashi and Limpopo confluence.
Dulivhadzimu is shared by both South Africa and Zimbabwe and Musina and Beitbridge municipalities have already committed to build a cultural village to straddle the Limpopo River.
People are expected to dress in a dignified manner with strictly no revealing or extremely revealing clothes while according to custom men must not wear hats while women should have something on their heads.
“We are also encouraging people to wear their cultural regalia,” said VhoTshitaudze.
The festival will be held at the Mpande, Tshitaudze Cultural Village and he days had been moved from the winter cultural date to the current heritage month.
“There is proper signage and we have 30 000 litres of water, three ambulances and heLth teams will be on the ground. To look after the environment we will have several bin liners for rsfuse, five disposal pits and people will be fed on beef, game meat and other traditional cuisines,” he said.
Different headmen will take charge of catering and other equipment for the funcyion including more than a dozen toilsts have been secured.
Throughout the festival people can camp at the venue where security will be tight with the services of provate security companies and the Zimbabwe Republic Police whose presence will be high throughout.
The initial stages of the festival will have sports featurinf 13 primary and 11 seconday schools where several trophies and other prizes will be won.
“For accomodation people can camp because there will activities throughout the festival. It is only Sunday that we will dismiss early to allow people to travel,” said Chief VhoTshitaudze.
Festival Highlights include cultural displays, traditional dances, indigenous language promotion, and customs shared by community elders and youth.
The festival will also have local cuisine of authentic traditional food displays and local products while for modern integration it will have several mini workshops for different subjects.
Modelled like business fares, the festival will have several outlets for different things and those wishing to trade are expected to register and will be allocated purpose reserved spaces.
Major heritage and cultural festivals are celebrated around the world to honour ancestral traditions, local history, and community identity.
Prominent international heritage festivals include the week long Inti Raymi in Peru’s historical celebration in Cusco honouring the Inca sun god, Inti, featuring traditional music, colourful processions, and re-enacted ancient rituals.
Mexico also holds the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), a vibrant national holiday rooted in indigenous Aztec heritage where families welcome back the souls of departed relatives with food, music, and decorated altars.
Another well known festival is the Rio Carnival of Brazil, a massive annual parade and celebration showcasing Afro-Brazilian heritage, samba music, and elaborate costume design.
In Asia the Chines host the Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year), a foundational tradition marking the start of the lunar calendar with dragon dances, family reunions, and ancestral remembrance.
In Africa Ethiopia holds the Timket, an Orthodox Christian celebration commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ, featuring grand processions of sacred replicas of the Ark of the Covenant.
Closer to home in South Africa and Eswathini there are events like the Ubuhle Maskandi Traditional Music Festival and regional heritage celebrations highlighting indigenous music genres, storytelling, and local community customs.
In eSwathini The Reed Dance, known as Umkhosi Womhlanga, is a major annual cultural festival in Southern Africa where tens of thousands of young unmarried women (maidens) gather to celebrate heritage, unity, and purity.