Traditional leaders in Mashonaland East Province have pledged to continue supporting First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa's programmes which are impacting positively on people's livelihoods.
Speaking during the just-ended Mashonaland East Traditional Cookout Competition held at Nyadire Teachers' College in Mutoko last week, Chief Nyajina of Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe commended the cookout competitions and thanked Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for the programme.
"This is an excellent programme and we support it. We are Africans and God gave us everything that we need so we must embrace what we have as a people. Minister Barbra Rwodzi encouraged us to be proud of what we have and who we are.
"We have our traditional food which is healthy. Our forefathers lived longer; some lived for more than 100 years because they religiously followed our norms, our culture and ate these traditional foods.
"We are no longer embracing our traditional foods and culture and this is why we die young and easily get sick. This is so sad.
"However, we are grateful to the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for the programmes she brought to us. The programmes are restoring as well as encouraging us, as the people of Zimbabwe to embrace our culture, from what we eat to how we behave as a people," said Chief Nyajina.
He said as traditional leaders, they were always observing traditional norms and culture.
"We are alive to the fact that our children are getting lost, from the way they dress, address their elders and behave.
"One can see that they need to be educated about our culture as soon as possible and with these programmes started by our First Lady, we will surely win."
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The wife of Chief Seke, Naume Chimanikire, thanked the First Lady for all the programmes aimed at restoring culture and pledged her support.
She said participants in this year's competitions had shown their innovative prowess.
"I see innovation after innovation. People are now serious. I see a lot of companies in these women. They are now innovating and I am proud.
"People are now embracing this programme and I want to thank Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for embarking on this journey. It is bearing fruits. As traditional leaders' spouses, we are rallying behind this programme and we will always support it," she said.
Mashonaland East provincial cookout competitions were divided into two categories and held over two days.
The first category comprised students and professional chefs and the second one saw the communities showcasing their skills at cooking traditional dishes.
The cookout programme is concept introduced by the First Lady in 2019 to promote and encourage the uptake of traditional dishes.
