PIGG’S PEAK – The Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC), together with Highlands Inn Hotel, has fulfilled its commitment to supporting the Zion community through the successful prize presentation ceremony for the recently held Zion Competition.
The presentation was hosted at Highlands Inn Hotel in Pigg’s Peak, one of the key sponsors of the competition alongside ENCAC. Both organisations contributed E10 000 each towards the competition, bringing the total sponsorship value to E20 000.
The competition provided a platform for Zion choirs to showcase their musical talents, while promoting unity, creativity and cultural expression within the community.
Speaking on behalf of the Zion community, Reverend Petros Ginindza expressed gratitude towards ENCAC and Highlands Inn Hotel for creating an opportunity for Zion choirs to participate and grow.
“We are grateful to get such an opportunity to be part of the Zion Competition. We are also grateful to ENCAC and Highlands Inn Hotel. We are speechless and we do not have any words to say how thankful we are about the competition,” he said.
Ginindza added that such initiatives play an important role in nurturing talent, especially in singing, while thanking God for guiding the event to success.
Sitile Matsebula highlighted that the competition demonstrated the power of unity among Zion churches and choirs.
“The Zion Competition has enabled us to see the power of unity. We came together under one roof for a common goal, and we really had a great time,” Matsebula said.
He further thanked the sponsors, saying the spirit of togetherness created during the competition would continue to strengthen the Zion community.
Meanwhile, Simanga Masango, representing Zion Unity, an organisation focused on promoting togetherness within the Zion community, said the competition helped uncover talent while giving the community greater visibility.
“We are happy to have been part of the recent competition because it made us discover our talent. It also promoted us as the Zion community,” Masango said.
ENCAC CEO Stanley Dlamini congratulated all participating choirs and applauded their dedication and commitment towards the competition.
Dlamini revealed that the competition attracted 10 choirs, which he said demonstrated the need for more cultural initiatives across the country.
“We want to congratulate the Zion community from Pigg’s Peak for showing determination and dedication towards the competition. We are hoping that when the competition comes back, we will have more choirs and take such an initiative to the other regions,” he said.
He further committed ENCAC’s continued support, stating that the organisation plans to sponsor the competition again next year and increase the sponsorship amount due to expectations of more participation.
Dlamini also encouraged Zion choirs to take part in the ongoing National Arts and Culture Awards (NACA) nominations, urging them to embrace opportunities that recognise talent and contribution to the arts industry.
The Zion Gospel Competition winners were:
Position 1: Maguga Bekizandla Choir – E5 000.00
Position 2: Umthunzi Webekizandla Choir – E3 500.00
Position 3: Thesalonika Choir – E2 500.00
Position 4: Jordan Church – E2 000.00
Position 5: Sandziso Semakhenani – E1 000.00
Special awards included:
Best Dressed Choir: Umthunzi Webekizandla – E250.00
Best Female: Thando Mdziniso – E250.00
Best Male: Shiba Bongumusa – E250.00
The successful competition has been hailed as a step towards strengthening the Zion community, celebrating local talent and expanding opportunities for cultural growth in Eswatini.
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