MANY souls were touched during a gospel show at the prestigious Mahika Mahikeng Cultural Festival at the Mmabatho Stadium parking lot in Mahikeng, North West on Friday, 17 March.
The three-day flagship event kicked-started with a gospel show featuring heavyweights such as Bucy Radebe, the iconic Joyous Celebration and David The King.
The festival returned after a three-year break thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of the festival goers, Rebaone Masibi from Tshidilamolomo Village outside Mahikeng, said the event will boost the tourism and hospitality industries.
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“Gospel music is the important aspect of every person and in most cases, it is the language that speaks to the inner being. So I want to applaud the organiser, including the North West Department of Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation,” said Rebaone.
Bucy, who gave a prodigious performance said she was happy to see the crowd eat from the palm of her hand.
“It feels good to be here and it was epic on stage. I feel like people in the North West were really thirsty for gospel shows and for the presence of God.
“They gave me a warm welcome and I said: 'Oh my God, I’m in heaven right now.' I always tell God that it is not about me, but about You and Your children,” she said.
David The King shared the same sentiments. He said Mahika Mahikeng is an international event that is loved by many.
"An event like this keeps people together. People are going through a lot, so once you speak the word of God to them in a form of a melody, people get revived.
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"When I went on stage, I was happy to see that the crowd was ready to accept what I was about to unleash. I have shared the stage with many gospel heavyweights like the late Vuyo Mokoena, Rebecca Malope and Bishop Benjamin Dube, so I have learnt a lot,” he said.
North West Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation spokesman, Shuping Sebolecwe, said: “We are satisfied with the turnout. Indeed people of the North West and neighbouring countries were looking forward to this event.
“We experienced so many challenges prior to the event. However, we want to assure our people that, this kind of event is important because it contributes immensely to the economy of the province.”
