Cultural event empowers young girls
MOHLALETSE – Scores of young girls from different part of the Limpopo Province, converged at Bapedi Royal Council in Mohlaletse Village outside Burgersfort on Sunday 16 November 2025, for the highly-anticipated Mokete Wa Maeba Heritage Event.
The event, which aimed to empower young girls and promote cultural values, was organized by Lekgoledi Arts and Cultural Center, in collaboration with Ipopeng Cultural Group and the Bapedi Tribal Authority.
Lekgoledi Arts and Cultural Centre is based in Lebowakgomo, Capricorn District. The centre is an independent community development Non-Profit Organization (NPO) that specializes in community research, project conceptualization, implementation, and fundraising for priority grassroots sector projects.
Their purpose is to plan and implement innovative solutions across the creative, cultural, heritage, education, and environment sectors, responding to local socio-economic challenges.
They achieve this by providing planned grassroots research and programme fundraising for their internal projects and those of their beneficiary organisations, such as local Non-Government organizations (NGOs), NPOs, and schools.
The centre is involved in various initiatives, including tutoring programmes, cultural festivals, and exhibitions, aiming to promote arts, culture, and heritage in the community.
The event afforded young girls an opportunity to showcase their virginity pride. They were also advised to get married and starting families at a suitable stage, not at an early age.
Nthwaleng Selina Tlaka, founder of Ipopeng Cultural Group, expressed her gratitude for being part of the event.
“Sometimes it is wise to team up with wise people for you to be wise,” she said. Ipopeng Cultural Group, an art center from Dikgalaopeng in Sekhukhune District, was invited to participate in the Maebana event to showcase their work in grooming young people to be responsible citizens.
Ipopeng Cultural Group submitted eight girls to take part in the Maebana Heritage to showcase their pride in demonstrating their virginity in public.
“I started grooming these young girls in 2019 through performance and touring to international cultural exchange events. I am happy that today they are participating in this important heritage event and I am proud of being a part of their lives all these years,” Tlaka said.
Tlaka was impressed to be part of the VIP sitting with Magoshi, professors, and doctors in Sepedi language.
“I was so inspired and tempted to continue to complete my doctorate, which I just left incomplete because I am a pensioner,” she said.
The event was marked by cultural music, cultural dance, poetry and other entertainment activities.
