Limbe FESTAC to run from 5-12 April!

The Maiden edition of the Limbe Arts and Culture Festival (FESTAC) will hold in the sea-side resort town from 5-12 April 2014, with participants coming from all over Cameroon and some friendly countries notably Togo, E. Guinea, Gabon and Sierra Leone.

By Sarah NkonghoOjong in Limbe

The Limbe FESTAC 2014 is organized by the Limbe City Council in partnership with other stakeholder institutions in the city of Limbe notably the CDC and SONARA. An independent cultural event, the FESTAC was recommended to authorities of the City Council by the Minister of Arts and Culture (MINAC), Ama Tutu Muna, after the colorful and successful events to commemorate 150 years of the founding of Victoria (now Limbe) in December 2009.     

                Placed under the distinguished patronage of the MINAC, the ambitious and promising project is aimed to showcase the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the 10 regions of Cameroon. Participants from Cameroon and abroad are therefore expected to converge on Limbe (fondly called “The Town of Friendship”) as from 5 April when the events would be officially opened. Some friendly neighboring countries would also be represented to give the events an international coloration, according to a press release.

                Announcing the event at a press briefing on 4 March 2014, the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council said all was on-course for a successful holding of this first edition of the event. Andrew MotangaMojimba said grand councilors of the City Council in December 2013 adopted a deliberation authorizing the FESTAC and since then preparations have intensified. He said committees to handle different aspects of the events were since created and are already far advanced with their respective tasks.

                Activities during the 8-day events will include a walk round the town of Limbe, excursions to tourist sites, traditional dance and dress exhibitions, ecumenical service, arts, crafts and food displays, a marathon, musical concerts and traditional sports events (wrestling, tug of war, Canoe race). Prizes would be awarded to persons and groups that will prove remarkable during the expectedly crowd-puller festival.

                A whole day has also been specially set aside to show-case only the culture and traditions of the Bakweri people, the indigenous tribe of Limbe, Andrew Motanga said.

                Sitting alongside the government delegate during the press outing were: the MP for Fako East Gladys Itomby, mayors of the three sub-divisional municipalities that make up the City of Limbe, divisional delegates of stakeholder ministries and some traditional chiefs.