Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has called regions to organize cultural festivals to showcase their traditions and customs and promised to award the best organized and performed ones.
President Samia said that yesterday during the Cultural Festival at Bujora Cultural Centre in Kisesa, Mwanza, During the occasion the Wasukuma tribe chiefs honoured her to be the head of chiefs.
Additionally the Wasukuma chiefs named President Samia Hangaya which means a shining star.
Elaborating further on the cultural festivals, President Samia stated that she would prepare a special trophy (prize) for the best performed concerts at the national level. She stressed that the aim of having such festivals is to enable every Tanzanian to know and be able perform traditions and customs of every region across Tanzania.
“I believe the festivals will encourage all Tanzanian tribes to promote their cultures, traditions and customs. I will be happy if all regions organise such festivals. I will have a special trophy to award the best concerts which best exhibit cultural values and at the highest level. I urge the chiefs to perfectly organise these concerts. But because this is the first festival and I have not prepared the trophy yet, I will offer an award to the Sukuma tribe chiefs for organising this wonderful exhibition.” President Samia also explained that the government is currently formulating a new cultural policy that will be in line with the current global environment but which will protect Tanzanian cultural values.
In retrospect, President Samia directed the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports to include tribe leaders in drafting the policy to develop and strengthen our culture.
“The government is currently in the process of formulating a new cultural policy that will be in line with the current global environment but will protect Tanzanian values. I direct the Ministry to involve tribal leaders in the policy formulation. Thus the chiefs’ views should be included in the policy so that we can develop our culture. I believe that these measures will protect, cherish, promote and develop our culture.” In today’s world, the head of state insisted that culture is a business and a major tourist attraction for many countries, especially in Asian nations such as China, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia. Culture is a major tourist attraction; therefore, we ought to follow in their footsteps.
During the event, President Samia issued a concern that she once heard that Tanzania receives fewer tourists due to limited tourist attraction activities.
As most of our tourists’ attractions are mainly natural resources, wildlife, beaches, forests and mountains; but having these kinds of concerts encourages tourists to come to our country and have an extended stay to see and learn our culture.
