- Funda Mpondo Literary Festival Welcoming Dinner: The event currently taking place at Pholela Lodge in Port St Johns features prominent officials and international guests, emphasizing the festival’s significance in celebrating cultural heritage.
- Celebration of Literature and Cultural Heritage: The annual festival, organized by KwaziThina Publishers, highlights storytelling, literature, and cultural traditions, marking its 4th edition in 2025 with a focus on bridging generations through stories.
- Theme of the 2025 Festival: This year’s theme, ‘bridging generation through tales of the past, present, and future,’ underscores the importance of connecting different age groups through shared narratives.
- Emphasis on Preservation of Local Language: Port St Johns Mayor Councillor Cebisa Mazuza highlighted the need to preserve local languages and traditions by encouraging communities to tell their own stories.
The Funda Mpondo International Literary Festival Welcoming Dinner is currently underway in Port St Johns Local Municipality at Pholela Lodge. The gathering has drawn high-profile figures including MEC for the Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture Sibulele Ngongo, Ingquza Hill Local Municipality Mayor Nonkosi Pepping, Port St Johns Mayor Cebisa Mazuza, as well as distinguished guests from Congo, Lesotho and Ghana.
The annual festival, championed by KwaziThina Publishers, is a celebration of storytelling, literature and cultural heritage. The festival returns for its 4th edition, taking place from 3 to 4 September 2025 at the Lusikisiki Health Resource Centre under the theme “Bridging generations through tales of the past, present, and future.”
In her opening remarks, Port St Johns Mayor Cebisa Mazuza emphasized the importance of safeguarding local languages and traditions.
“It is vital that we are the ones that tell our stories, go back basics to preserve our language (Isimpondo), heritage and cultural activities,” she said.
