Hills are alive with Zulu dance

At the 12th Annual Shield Heritage Awards held recently in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, Indlondlo Cultural Village, located in the Valley of a 1 000 Hills outside Durban, was announced as the winner of the Preferred Heritage Destination by the National Heritage Council.

- Citizen reporter

It beat other finalists !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre in the Western Cape and the Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto.

The Golden Shield Heritage Awards honour individuals, organisations and communities who have made significant contributions towards the preservation, protection and promotion of South Africa’s cultural heritage.

It recognises grassroots heritage champions and unsung heroes and promotes nation building and social cohesion through heritage.

And Indlondlo Cultural Village is one hitherto unsung grassroots champion.

“We are very excited that finally the National Heritage Council has recognised us, a small village that was founded in 2018 when our local chief granted us the land,” said Msizeni Mngadi, the founder of Indlondlo Zulu Dancers, a nonprofit organisation that performs and teaches cultural dances and practices in the rural areas of the Valley of 1 000 Hills/KwaNyavu/Mkhambathini and surrounding areas.