MWANZA (Tanzania), June 23 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has called on Tanzanians to take an active role in preserving cultural values, emphasising that the responsibility lies with all citizens for the betterment of society.
She made the call during the official opening of the Bulabo Cultural Festival held at Bujora-Kisesa grounds in Magu District, Mwanza Region.
She said the government recognises and appreciates the efforts by cultural stakeholders and traditional leaders in promoting Tanzanian heritage and ensuring it is passed on to future generations.
“We value the work being done by cultural stakeholders and our traditional leaders. You are the bridge between generations,” Samia Suluhu said, adding that cultural festivals like Bulabo are key to preserving and advancing Tanzanian traditions, customs and identity.
“Culture is the foundation of who we are as a nation. It brings us together, especially now as the world is changing in so many ways technologically, economically, socially and culturally,” she said.
She added that the government is committed to promoting the Bulabo Festival on an international scale due to its uniqueness in safeguarding Tanzanian culture.
“We want this festival to be known beyond our borders,” she said, while congratulating this year’s organisers for hosting an event that attracted visitors from countries including Oman and South Africa.
The President also commended the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports for organising educational sessions alongside the festival, focusing on the importance of preserving Tanzanian morals, traditions and customs.
“These sessions are important because they help our children to understand who they are and where they come from,” she said.
Before officially opening the festival, President Samia toured the Bujora Cultural Centre and the Sukuma Museum, where she met and held discussions with Sukuma chiefs and elders. She urged them to continue praying for peace, unity and national cohesion.
“I ask you, our traditional leaders, to continue praying for this country, to keep it united and at peace,” she said.
President Samia concluded her official tour of Lake Zone by thanking residents for their warm hospitality and support during her visit.
Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, announced that the government plans to nominate the Bulabo Festival recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage event.
He said the preparations for a cultural preservation study, to be submitted to UNESCO beginning March next year, are underway.
“The Bulabo celebrations coincide with harvest season and are aligned with the Catholic Church’s Eucharistic Feast. Since the church has embraced this tradition, we see it fitting to propose it as a world heritage,” he explained.
Prof Kabudi also shared ongoing efforts to document and preserve local languages by identifying all dialects spoken in Tanzania and neighbouring countries. He said that despite Tanzania’s linguistic diversity, the country has shown strong national unity.
He added that plans are in place to construct a national cultural centre in Dodoma, which will include offices for traditional leaders and facilities to store traditional artefacts for the benefit of current and future generations.
During her working tour of the Lake Zone, President Samia presided over a series of major development initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure, agriculture and public health.
She officially launched the JP Magufuli Bridge, a key infrastructure development set to ease transport and boost economic activity in the region.
In addition, she inaugurated various water projects designed to enhance access to clean and safe water for communities, commissioned modern cotton processing industries to support value addition and increase earnings for farmers.
She also rolled out the national mass livestock vaccination campaign, reinforcing the government’s commitment to improving animal health and safeguarding livelihoods in the livestock sector. — NNN-DAILYNEWS
