All roads will lead to Limbe in March 28 to April 4, 2020 not just because of the African Nations Cups games. It will be also for the Limbe International Festival of Arts and Culture, FESTAC. And as has been in previous years, it will be a fun packed week for the joy seeking public. Come and see women paddling the canoe in a crowd pulling and musical race; wrestlers in action; a marathon across town; dance and music from across the country; arts exhibitions of all sorts from cultures of Cameroon and other African countries. What’s more, there will be surprises at the festival whose theme will be made public soon.
These assurances were made by the new Limbe City Mayor Andrew Motanga Mojimba at a weekend press conference. “It is a regalian responsibility of the councils to entertain their population” he said. “This festival will boost the economy of this town. Many people will come into this town. They will stay in hotels, use taxis, buy food from the local population. It is the responsibility of the council too to boost the economy of the city.”
Come March 28 to April 4, Limbe will be the place to be. The FESTAC will usher in the African Nations Championship Cameroon 2020. Hear Mayor Motanga Andrew. “It will be a week of ecstasy. There will be joy. The stress levels of the population will be reduced during this week of celebration. And this is not a profit-making event. It is our responsibility to make our population enjoy for free. We give our people the opportunity to come together in joy. And besides we are promoting one of our cardinal goals in this country; living together.”
According to the mayor Motanga, Limbe is very safe for the 2020 FESTAC. A thorough clean-up campaign will be launched soon to shine up the Town of Friendship.
Last year, FESTAC drew a crowd of about 1500 persons in a carnival spiced with colours and folklores of the peoples of Cameroon and Africa. Then a display of different cultural groups with the Bakwerie Maela and Chacha dance setting the pace.
The Limbe City Mayor has promised an even more exciting 2020 festival for cultural enthusiasts. They will savour the grass fields ways of life through their colourful hand made “Bamenda Dress”, their drum beating music and boisterous dancing. The graceful dancers from across the southwest region in their African designs and environmentally friendly costumes are set to charm visitors. Sawa women will not be mistaken with their sweet voices and soul-searching traditional songs. The horse-riding northerners are expected to thrill the population once again with a fantasia and Sahelian.
Mayor Motanga Andrew Mojimba’s dream from onset in 2014 was to build bridges across the cultures. It’s a policy that has become a corner stone in the Living Together strategy of the national government.
Meanwhile international participants will bring in another dimension to the jamboree. The Ghanaians and Nigerians who last year entertained FESTAC lovers with impressive ballets will be here again.
And there will be lots of food and drinks, arts and crafts in exhibition. The rest will be discovered by those who will attend. FESTAC 2020 will also witness the introduction of poetry, drama and painting competition for primary and secondary schools in Limbe. There will be a tombola, but anyone hoping to win a car should rethink. Instead of giving away a car worth several millions of CFA to a single winner, the organisers have used to funds, (18.275.000frs) to procure more prizes to be won this year.
FOOTBALL IN LIMBE
Limbe, known for its love for football will have more than many would imagine. Football teams from national championships in Africa will be in action. That will be the first match of the 6th edition of the African Nations Championships, the biennial football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) exclusively for players of the national championships. So come 7 April, Limbe is ready for you.