BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– Eswatini stands proud of its unique cultural events that take place annually.
As yesterday marked the main day of the Big Incwala, every person of every colour and from every religious background came out.
The main day of the Incwala Ceremony 2023 left multitudes with memories of a lifetime. For some, it was the day they met royalty and the who-is-who of government and society; while for others, it will go down as the day they learnt to dance ‘the Swati way’.
The allure of the Incwala Ceremony; is that it allows the common man to rub shoulders with the high and mighty. After days of dancing and prayer during the Little Incwala, the main day was the busiest and most colourful.
Meanwhile Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) and the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC) set up their stands by the entrance of the Ludzidzini Royal Residence in Lobamba for locals and tourists to enquire about the ceremony, tourist attractions and festive season specials and activities.
People from far and wide crossed the bluest of seas to be a part of the day and relax for the festive season.
One tourist told this publication that he worked a challenging job in the Netherlands and wanted to ‘blow off some steam’.
He then Googled the most exciting tourist destination in Africa, and after a few clicks here and there, settled for Eswatini.
“The good thing about the Incwala Ceremony is that we all are coerced to learn and/or teach each other rhythm, and thus cementing our unity,” said Bert Sghabbink who was in the company of his wife.
The event saw people from South Africa, Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan, Zambia, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and many more.
Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Moses Vilakati was more than ecstatic to announce that tourists from overseas and neighbouring South Africa had been coming into the country four days before the main day.
The minister also assured that the country would improve ease of access, to reduce waiting time at the border. The nationalities at the ceremony seemed to add more colour to the rainbow, and it was just beautiful. The smiles just told that race was non-existent at the gathering, everyone wanted to have fun and make memories with old and newly-found friends.
The ETA also met travel writers and culture- enthusiasts Ellen Horlebein from Germany and Rene Bauer originally from Switzerland.
The pair of friends stuck around the stand and exhausted all the why’s, how’s and when’s pertaining to the knot tied on the lihiya and the entire Incwala Ceremony.
Apart from the dancing and meeting new people, Emabutfo locally and internationally found common ground as nearly everyone had a SiSwati name.
When it was time for the main dance a number of people, the ladies reached for their ‘Umgcusha’ and the men their ‘Umboyi’.
These are sticks used for dancing inside the cattle byre; the ladies have tiny, whitish ones and the men carry two black and thick ones. They were all sold by vendors nearby, for convenience, of course. People from various church backgrounds included Zionist, Jerichos and ‘Ngubozibovu’ among others. They all came clad in their respective church gowns.
Pics sourced from Eswatini Tourism Authority
