Madishong Heritage Experience, in partnership with department of Sports, Arts and Culture and National Arts Council, will host a traditional-dance competition at Jane Furse RDP Park Sports Grounds, on Sunday, 25- September, as part of the heritage month celebrations.
The baPedi tribe performs this dance as their traditional dance. Kiba is a male-only dance that has its origins in the history of the baPedi military. Originally, the dance was performed by warriors when they returned from successful hunts, raids, or even battles.
Chief Sekwatis’ army attacked the Scottish armies’ expeditions somewhere in Phiring in the 1850s and found the Scots in their traditional skirts. Sekwati warriors attacked and killed them and took the bodies of the dead Scottish soldiers to the capital to show the chief.
The army took their skirts and wore them around their waists and began to sing and dance Dinaka dances, circling the dead bodies and pointing their fingers at the dead Scottish soldiers lying on the ground.
This practice became popular and, because of this experience, changed the way Dinaka dance was performed and practiced across the country. Because of this, you will see Dinaka dancers wearing skirts and dancing in circles. They still mock the Scots and celebrate this victory of that memorable day in the history of fighting colonial settlers.
Pabello “Papzito” Selema, founder of Madishong Heritage Experience says Kiba music and dance is a cultural expression, an aesthetic that has survived marginalization and misinterpretation during colonization and it plays a critical educational role to Southern Africa’s indigenous knowledge institutions.
“I’ve decided to dedicate my life towards appreciating, conserving and popularizing the Sepedi Culture and Heritage. I think our traditional dances are rich in history and spiritual meaning”,
“This is why I took Kiba to Hip Hop. I took it to national TV. Many people look down upon our traditional dancers and artists because they’re not considered cool. In my eyes, they’re kings and queens! Badimo ba nthomile ba re ke le botšeng Hip Hop ke Kiba”, says Papzito
Elderly and young people from different cultural groups within the Bapedi nation across Limpopo will compete in different traditional dances (Kiba & Makgakgasa).