BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI 

Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Elizabeth Thabethe will host the crafts imbizo in partnership with the Mahikeng Local Municipality at Mmabana Foundation Centre in Mahikeng on Wednesday.

Thabethe said the partnership between Department of Small Business Development and Mahikeng Local Municipality seeks to prioritise the creative industries as a sector for development and empowerment, including focused support.

“The objective of the Imbizo is to ensure that we fight poverty through support geared towards the creative industries in general and the crafts sector in particular.

“This platform is also meant to ensure that the artists are empowerment to make proposals directly to the department, but also to engage with my department in various issues including support,” she said.

Thabethe said: “Many of our crafters are not benefiting from their creations and talent simply because there isn’t support for protection of their intellectual property rights. In the long run, they do not get credited for their work and they also do not get royalties from their skills and knowledge after a lot of hard work and many sacrifices”, said Thabethe.

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