Harare, (New Ziana) -President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been commended for his continued efforts to strengthen Zimbabwe-Russia relations, which have gone beyond political ties to include deep cultural cooperation.
Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Nicholas Moyo made the commendation on Monday at a ceremony to bid farewell to a six member team from the Children’s Performing Arts Workshop (CHIPAWO) heading to Russia on Tuesday.
He said the President Mnangagwa’s leadership has played a critical role in enhancing people-to-people engagements between the two countries.
“President Mnangagwa has shown strong commitment to international partnerships that benefit our young people. The cultural cooperation between Zimbabwe and Russia is a clear example of that vision in action,” he said.
Chipawo is set to represent Zimbabwe at the International Children’s Cultural Forum in Moscow, Russia, from August 20 to 23.
The group will be part of a global gathering that includes 14 countries and 86 provincial representatives from across the Russian Federation.
Six teenagers, including two boys, will represent Zimbabwe at the event, where they will perform a dance and musical showcase titled “Beautiful Zimbabwe,” which highlights the country’s diverse cultural heritage and celebrates its agricultural traditions.
Among the key highlights of the performance is the Mhande dance, an indigenous Zimbabwean rain-making dance rooted in spiritual and ancestral traditions.
“Mhande is not just a dance, it is a powerful story of how Zimbabwe relies on its land, elders, and spiritual rituals to sustain life through agriculture,” said Moyo.
The dance embodies the country’s reliance on ancestral guidance to bring rain, ensure food security, and preserve vegetation with the performance incorporating stories, music, and dances from all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe, portraying a united cultural identity.
The cultural forum will feature a wide array of activities, including creative workshops, cultural exchanges, and networking sessions among participating countries with the platform designed to foster mutual understanding, cooperation, and artistic growth among children worldwide.
Moyo commend the Government of Russia for its ongoing support in promoting cultural exchange with Zimbabwe.
“Just recently, one of our dancers received a fully-funded scholarship to study choreography at the Ino Praktika Dance School in Russia,” he noted.
The farewell comes months after the successful Russia-Zimbabwe Cultural Dance Festival held in Harare and Marondera in May this year, as part of growing bilateral engagements under the Zimbabwe-Russia Cultural Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in July 2023.
Speaking at the same occasion, Sergey Kuzin, Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian embassy, emphasized the importance of promoting culture to build a strong society.
“In this world the most successful societies are built when people are inspired by culture and where they can rely on a strong foundation and history. The forum provides opportunities for teenagers and unites young performers,” he said.
New Ziana
