The Alfred Duma Municipality relaunched its Battlefields Festival on a high note following Health Minister Joe Phahla’s announcement that all coronavirus restrictions had been lifted.
Sizwe Mazibuko, Alfred Duma Municipality’s executive director for Human Settlements and Development Planning said that the festival last took place in 2017 and couldn’t be hosted due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, which negatively affected tourism and businesses nationwide.
Mazibuko said that The Battlefields Festival celebrates the rich history and culture of Ladysmith, which is an area where most wars, sieges and skirmishes for South Africa’s sovereignty occurred.
The Battlefields Festival is a great tourism initiative that generates tourism for the city of Ladysmith which has museums and monuments erected to keep the history of the 1800s alive.
Sixolile Ngiba, Alfred Duma Municipality’s municipal manager said that during this festival, which starts on July 3, the South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force and other armies from around the world which were involved in the Anglo-Boer war, would parade in the city.
Ngiba said that the festival generates tourism and income for the city as most of these armies spend a week in the city.
The relaunch of the festival showcased different cultures within the city, a guided tour of the Siege Museum and Platrand Wagon Hill.
Alfred Duma Local Municipality Mayor Zama Sibisi said that the festival is about the youth getting to know the history of the city and how the city came about. Sibisi said that Wagon Hill and the Battlefields Festival helps the city attract tourists and they hope that increasing traffic into the city will leave it in a better economic state.