POLOKO TAU
GAUTENG’S seventh Pale Ya Rona (Our Story) Carnival returns to its “permanent home” in Soweto from today until Sunday.
Provincial Department of Sports, Arts and Culture MEC Lebogang Maile announced in his budget speech earlier this year that R7.6 million had been allocated for the carnival, which he said would “celebrate Gauteng’s diverse cultures and showcase the artistic talents of its people”. The free three-day event would coincide with the start of spring and prepare the crowds for other heritage month celebrations.
The festivities in Mofolo Park will begin with flamboyant carnival costumes and traditional dance today from 1pm. Costumes, masks and carnival characters will also be unveiled and displayed.
Tomorrow will see an early start to the merriment, with a children’s carnival set to start at about 10am. This carnival features children from 60 schools around Gauteng who have made their own costumes.
The children’s parade will be followed by a competition to find Gauteng’s best budding DJ, with the winner to be announced about midnight.
Participants will line up for Sunday’s big parade at Mofolo Park from 10am.
This will feature troupes from Gauteng and other provinces, while neighbouring countries including Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland are expected to join in.
Led by a float, the parade is expected to bring the area to a standstill, with more than 15 000 participants expected to take to the streets across Mofolo and Orlando West.
See map on Page 5