Partying for Madiba at Ubuntu Festival 2011
The Ubuntu Festival charity cook-off raised 3 000kg of food for needy communities. Photo by Faziela Williams
Music, laughter and a spirit of togetherness played a huge role in the success of the third annual Ubuntu Festival at St George’s Mall on Sunday July 17, 2011. The festival also celebrated Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday, which took place the following day.
From the Earth Fair Food Market with its eclectic mix of organic food, jewellery, craft and clothing stores to the entertainment line-up on the Red Bull stage, and the intense culinary showdown at the charity cook-off at Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel and Spa, this year’s festival was proof that Capetonians know how to work and play.
Great local acts such as rapping duo Ruffest had the crowd boogieing to popular hits, while market traders such as Sharon Geland of Sharon’s Jewellery tempted festival-goers with fantastic wares. “I was inspired to trade at the Ubuntu Festival,” said Geland. “Its mission is to assist the needy and it is an opportunity to give back to the community.”
Irene Naicia, who specialises in handcrafted gifts (her bejewelled teaspoons were a big hit with shoppers), relished the humanitarian aspect of the festival and the opportunity to interact with people from different walks of life.
Murals and wire statues of Madiba adorned the walls and foyer of the Independent Newspapers building and Mandela Rhodes Place, as did huge posters of Cape Argus, Cape Times and The Star front pages covering Mr Mandela’s release and inauguration in the 1990s.
The charity cook-off, featuring top Three Cities chefs Friedrich van Zyl and Jason Cunningham against cooking rookies, was a tantalising battle. Masters of chopping, dicing and slicing, these gourmet wizards used 3 000kg of food to conjure up magical dishes delivered by the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust to needy communities in Nyanga, Langa and Khayelitsha.
A joyous celebration and a fitting memorial to the Father of the Nation, the annual Ubuntu Festival is well worth attending. For more information about this fantastic event, visit www.saubuntu.co.za.
