Activities to mark Africa Day continue |22 May 2013

The Seychelles FetAfrik committee has come out with a fully fledged four-day programme starting with a lecture at the University of Seychelles Anse Royale campus at 10am today.

Talks at the lecture will be on Pan Africanism and African Renaissance.

This will be followed by a lecture to the Seychelles Tourism Academy students at 1pm by visiting Chef Kabelo Segone of South Africa and a cultural talk at 4.30pm at the National Cultural Center on Soungoula, a commonly used word that retraces its origin back to mainland Africa.

Tomorrow an exhibition by visiting South African artist Bamba Siblya will take place at 11am at the Kenywn House in Victoria.

The official launch of FetAfrik will take place at 5pm the same day at the National Cultural Centre in Victoria and an African Bazaar where the National Cultural Troupe, Achille ‘Kwame’ Luc and visiting Masai dancers from the Bomas of Kenya will perform.

An interesting visiting exhibition from the Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture in Mauritius will also be opened at the same time at the National Cultural Centre.

Friday from 10am will see the Seychelles Association of Visual Arts stage an Afrikart painting exhibition at the Caravelle House and at the same time the African Bazaar will reopen for the day at the National Cultural Centre. At 12 noon the Masai will perform in the open air outside the Kenya Airways office at Kingsgate House in Victoria.

At 1pm Steven Rose will tell stories during an African folktales session at the children's library
That same evening from 7pm an African Gala Evening will be held at Le Méridien Barbarons resort at Barbarons Mahe.

An exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU will be opened on Saturday May 25 at 9.30am at the National Cultural Centre. This will be followed by the last day of the African Bazaar where sale of crafts, food, books, music CDs etc will take place before the curtains fall on the 2013 Africa Day celebrations.

Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange said the ministry has come forward to mark the event with renewed vigour this year with the support of those who believe in our African tradition.

"The FetAfrik committee has worked tirelessly to stage an event that will mark this important date on our calendar of events. This year we have also been assisted to bring more of mainland Africa to Seychelles and this new approach we hope will be further developed in the coming years as we continue to mark our Africa Day in Seychelles,” he said.