Bapedi Ancestral Flower promotes tourism destinations in Sekhukhune
Sekhukhune
The Yellow Arum Lily, which grows only in Sekhukhune, has for many years been promoting tourism and economic growth in the area, with thousands of people across the country and neighbouring countries touring to see the flowers in their natural habitat.
The Yellow Arum, also known as ‘Bapedi Ancestral Flower’, is a bulb type of plant that is endemic to the mountains of Roosenekaal in Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (EMLM) and Leolo mountains in Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality (MLM), where it is mostly found amongst rocky outcrops.
The Yellow Arum Lily is identified with its distinctive appearance with bright yellow spathe-like petals and a yellow spadix, making it a striking and attractive flower.
Before it was declared and decreed Bapedi Ancestral Flower by the late King of Bapedi, Kgoshi Thulare III at Tsate III Great Place in 2020, the unique flower was already a significant cultural symbol for the local Ndebele people, representing beauty, strength and resilience.
The Bapedi Ancestral Flower bears much history on the Bapedi interface with fauna and flora in their heritage and appreciation of the geography of their development. This is also evident in the praise poetry of the Bapedi nation about Mohlake. This is where the Bapedi nation settled around 1651 on the summit of Leolo Mountains, where this flower is found in abundance.
It is listed as an endangered species due to habitat loss, over-collection, and other environmental factors. It blooms only in November and December, allowing tourists a special opportunity to see the flowers in bloom.
The Yellow Arum Lily has traditional medicinal and spiritual uses, adding to its cultural and historical significance.
To promote tourism and to create awareness about these unique flowers, the Limpopo Tourism Agency, together with Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) and EMLM, host the Annual Yellow Arum Lily Festival, which is set to protect them and the importance of conserving the yellow arum lilies to the next generation.
The festival is marked with open markets with local products, exhibitions of arts, crafts and food, poetry and performances.
The Yellow Arum Lily was listed as one of ten interesting centre of attractions in Sekhukhune Region by the Sekhukhune Development Agency (SDA), which rated the flower to be among the best tourism destination locations in the district municipality.
