Young Lions Cultural Group during a cultural feast. Picture by Given Mahlalela

They use needles to sew indlamu (cultural attire for dancing umtsimba) and training others to be SiSwati poetry. Stationed at Mtfuntini formerly known as Langeloop near the local Mtfuntini Combined School and comprises of fourteen members, Young Lions Cultural Group aimed at boosting and nurturing cultural talent to the local youngsters.

According to the group manager Christinah Ndlala, they want to keep Mtfuntini as a cultural attraction centre for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. “Thanks to Nkomazi municipality which funded us with a cool R500 000 in last year.

We are not only targeting 2010 because that is no the end of our lives, but we are targeting 2010 beyond,” she added. “We are preparing to shoot a video clips to rectify our mistakes. We also need more people to help us financially,” she went on.

Ndlala said they are currently looking for a suitable place to operate around the area as now they operate under a garage. Some of the group members have been employed in full time basis while some are still at school. Adding to the group’s work, they also teach people on how to dance sibhaca and making cultural nicles.

When this paper visited the group it was visible that the group is curving pictures for importance people including Nelson Mandela and Mpumalanga province’s Premier Thabang Makwetla.

Nkomazi municipality’s tourism, arts and cultural sectional head, Sam Mpandze, says they want to put Nkomazi cultural groups in a standardized level before the World Cup. “We have funded three cultural groups including Young Lions and others in KaMaqhekeza and Magogeni. We are now lobbying for more funders to come to enable us to fund more up and coming cultural groups in the sub-region,” Mpandze concluded.