Picture: (Segarona Traditional group during Africa Day celebration)

A TRADITIONAL music group from Tlakgameng, near Ganyesa is geared at promoting the ideals that keep people in line with their identity.

The group, Segarona Traditional Dance, was part of the African Day celebration at Lotlamoreng Dam in Mahikeng on Wednesday.

Group leader, Annijie Mogwale said even though South Africa has been decolonised there were still challenges that need to be confronted.

She said that every human being must be proud of her/his background and identity.

“South Africa is a complex society. So we need to embrace complexity. By so doing allows each of us to realise how little we know. Knowing one’s identity goes back to the root of Africa.

“The originality of us links us to other part of African countries. I am not African because I was born in Africa, but Africa was born in me. We are running a traditional group in quest to make sure that we preserve our identity,” Mogwale said.

The 40 year-old singer said South Africa is still divided according to its ethnicity.

“We need to teach our children about our identity. We have released three albums so far. Our latest album is called Kabelang. We hope to receive support from the provincial government because it is hard to make ends meet.

“Some of our group members have left because the group is not economical viable. However after the introduction of Youth Entrepreneurship Services programme, we hope for the better,” she said.

Mogwale added that there were still challenges regarding ethnicities. She said sometimes tribalism shows off its ugly head.

“We need to support each other as Africans. We need to learn from the likes of our late state president, Dr Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe and other African leaders.

“We need to preserve the spirit of Ubuntu. We share the same vision and destiny as Africans. We also share the common history. The whole world could learn from Africa as is affectionately known as the Mother land,” she said.

“It is a powerful vision pregnant with possibilities for African descended people and for the world. Yet, it is a vision too often obscured by bushel basket and a voice muted by the gag of other paradigm rooted in colonial ideas conflated with illusions of divine destiny,” she said.

-TDN

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