One of the canvases gifted to the VC is a painted canvas, while the other is beaded with Ndebele styles. Mrs Mahlangu collaborated with Aranda blankets to produce a unique Ndebele-designed blanket that is different from the popular one.
In addition to the gifting of these items to the VC, Mrs Mahlangu and her team will also be painting selected walls at both UMP campuses with Ndebele art, as a recognition of UMP’s commitment to preserving cultural heritage and languages. The paintings will be officially unveiled in September 2023, during Heritage Month.
Dr Thulisile Bhuda, Lecturer: Culture and Heritage Studies at UMP and a representative of AmaNdebele community in higher education, handed over the gifts to Professor Mayekiso on behalf of Mrs Mahlangu.
“The paintings are geometric in nature and express cultural symbolism of the Ndebele people. They serve as a means of communication and for UMP, it symbolises the institution’s years of investment in the isiNdebele language and cultural development,” said Dr Bhuda.
@ Story by UMP Communications Division. Pictures Supplied.