By Netshakhuma Muleya
THE National Annual Science, Sports and Arts Festival (NASSAF) rolled down its curtains on September 24 at Oackleigh House School in Beitbridge.
The event had brought together learners from all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe.
It was the sixth edition of the festival and was held from September 22 to 24 under the theme, “Driving the Economy Through Skills Development and Cultural Diversity.”
The three-day event featured a wide range of competitions, including various sporting disciplines, visual arts, contemporary dance, marimba, mbira, modelling, live bands, poetry, spelling bee, science and innovation, and Olympiads.
Matabeleland South received a trophy in recognition of hosting the festival, while Midlands, Mashonaland West and Team Manicaland were awarded shields for their outstanding performances.
The Masvingo Province Band also received a shield, T-shirts and books after delivering a performance that captivated the audience and brought proceedings to a standstill.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerai Moyo, during the closing ceremony, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Moses Mike, described NASSAF as “education in action”.
He said the competitions give learners opportunities to create, innovate, express themselves and develop skills.
“NASSAF is not an extracurricular programme but a window which provides evaluation and assessment towards the education system and developmental process in the learning space,” he said.
Mike said the festival also helped reveal learners’ talents while promoting discipline through sport and creativity through dance.
“I believe it was a splendid week of social interaction and skills development,” he said.
He appreciated the Beitbridge host community as welcoming to participants from the other provinces.
Beitbridge West Member of Parliament Thusani Ndou praised the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for successfully hosting the festival in Beitbridge.
“I want to appreciate the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for hosting such a successful campaign of the NASSAF competitions in Beitbridge.”
” We believe it will serve as an inspiration to youths locally as they witnessed diverse talents from broader provinces,” he said.
As the competitions folded Beitbridge was left with memories of the colourful event and even sportswear worn by participants, reflecting the energy, creativity and skills showcased by learners from across the country’s 10 provinces.