Culture

Minister, South African envoy discuss boosting ties in arts, culture.

by Morine Tanyi
22 Oct 2024 06:45
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L-R: HE Mandla handing gift to Minister Bidoung Mkpatt

The Minister of Arts and Culture, Bidoung Mkpatt, and the High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa to Cameroon, His Excellency Mandla Langa, have discussed ways to boost ties in the arts and culture sector.

This was during an audience the member of government granted the diplomat, Thursday, October 17, in Yaounde.

Speaking during the audience, Minister Bidoung Mkpatt hailed existing cooperation between both nations. The minister said both countries have strong friendly ties that span across several domains and very limited in the domain of arts and culture.

Minister Bidoung Mkpatt tasked all his close collaborators to form a working group with officials from the South African High Commission to explore areas of cooperation.

On his part, His Excellency Mandla Langa hailed Cameroon’s rich cultural diversity. He said his coming to the Ministry of Arts and Culture was to pay respect to the minister and discuss avenues of collaboration.

“When we speak of Cameroon, we think of Africa in miniature as a result of its rich cultural and culinary values,” H.E Mandla said.

Both personalities at the end of the audience agreed to create a commission which will get to work so as to set up platforms of collaboration and cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the audience, H.E Mandla noted that they are very much honored and grateful to the ministry for accepting to receive them.

“The minister has given us homework; there is a lot of work to be done to make sure that we create a very viable collaboration in arts and culture between the South Africa and Cameroon,” the diplomat said.

Quizzed on areas of collaboration and cooperation, he noted that both countries could work in training, enhancing infrastructure to make sure that they create production treaties between South Africa and Cameroon, especially in the domain of arts and culture.

“We are excited to start as soon as possible, as soon as yesterday. From here, we are going to be speaking to our principals in Pretoria to make sure that they take this as seriously as possible” H.E Mandla concluded. The officials at the end of the audience, both officials exchange gifts.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3266 of Monday October 21, 2024