Ryan Swano
An Exciting & Vibrant Way to Address Decolonisation While Celebrating Roots, Culture & Heritage, The Inaugural RCHD Week, from 26 February to 1 March 2025, Commemorates 515 Years Since Victory at The Battle of Salt River, 129 Years Since Victory at The Battle of Adwa & 140 Years Since the Berlin Conference.
The Inaugural RCHD Week of the Adwa Movement aims to take The Decolonisation Project into the Future with a Dope Pre-Launch Concert, the Exciting Inaugural RCHD Week Launch Event, Film Screenings, Key Note Addresses and Panel Discussions, a San Bushman Fire Dance Ceremony, Music Performances, Poetry, and a Vibrant March Through Cape Town to Celebrate Victories at the Battles of Salt River & The Battle of Adwa, all while addressing The Serious Issues of Decolonisation and How the Berlin Conference of 140 years ago still affects us as Africans to this day.
RCHD Week Celebrates Roots, Culture and Heritage while Addressing The Decolonisation of Africa with a Focus on the Victories at the 1510 Battle of Salt River and the 1896 Battle of Adwa. It also commemorates the 140th anniversary of the Berlin Conference that fomented the multitude of colonial ills, continued exploitation and proxy wars that Africa is still dealing with today.
The mix of Vibrant Celebratory Activities and Serious Issue needs not be confusing nor should it be boring.
The Inaugural RCHD Week organised by the ADWA Movement injects excitement, fun, a sense of unity and cultural pride into dealing with the serious issue of Decolonisation.
Further below we have all the details of all the events, activities, film screenings, live performances and panel discussions, but first a bit of background on how the Adwa x Salt River Victories Parade evolved into the RCHD Week.
THE ADWA MOVEMENT 10th ANNIVERSARY
The Adwa Movement is a grassroots cultural heritage community established in 2016 that is dedicated to preserving, promoting and restoring Africa’s cultural heritage and anti-colonial history through education, arts & culture, and community-building.
The Adwa x Salt River Victories Parade was established in 2016 with the purpose to celebrate intangible cultural heritage in a conscious and vibrant spirit to create awareness and by making places of memory accessible as a cultural activity. The founder, Adwa movement is a broad-based association of multiple communities and organisations has been partnering with civil society groups and will be hosting the 10th annual Adwa x Salt River Victories Parade Programme with the launch of The First Annual Roots, Culture, Heritage and Decolonisation Week to continue imbuing historical consciousness unto participants, guests and society at large through its cultural heritage preservation and restoration events that enhance heritage community resilience and supports the development of marginalised communities across the continent.
THE BATTLE OF ADWA WAS A DEFINING MOMENT IN AFRICAN HISTORY
Ethiopia is the only African country that successfully resisted being colonised by European powers during The Scramble for Africa following The Berlin Conference of 1885.
“The great victory of Ethiopia in 1896 at the Battle of Adwa was indeed both an Ethiopian and an African victory, corroborating the high regard in which Africans across the continent and the African Diaspora in general hold Ethiopia as well as the inspiration they draw from the existence of a sovereign African State which has existed for millennia.” – Former South African President Thabo Mbeki
BATTLE OF SALT RIVER
“On his way back to Portugal from Cochin in 1510, d’Almeida’s fleet stopped off at the Cape of Good Hope, then known as Aguada de Saldanha, to take on water and supplies. They were given the usual helpful and hospitable reception by the Khoena, until Almeida allowed his captains Pedro and Jorge Barreto to return to the village where they had traded, to carry out a cattle raid. In the raid on 1 March 1510 the Khoena put up fierce resistance and the Portuguese lost one soldier. But the real battle awaited the Portuguese on Woodstock beach near the mouth of the Salt River. Here the Khoena cut d’Almeida off from escape and launched a return attack in which d’Almeida and 64 of his men were killed. This included 11 of his captains. The great Portuguese conqueror who had wreaked havoc across the world was brought down by a small clan of Khoena people whose kindness had been repaid by treachery. For almost the entire 16th Century a conflictual incident with Antonio d’Saldanha in 1503 and then the major setback with d’Almeida in 1510 resulted in the Europeans treating the Cape of Good Hope and its people with much caution. Visits continued in dribs and drabs, but only from 1590 this began to change dramatically as shipping and the necessary stop-overs increased.” – Patric Tariq Mellet
THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA – BERLIN CONFERENCE 1885
The Berlin Conference was Africa’s undoing in more ways than one. The colonial powers superimposed their domains on the African continent. By the time Africa regained its independence in the 1960s, the realm had acquired a legacy of political fragmentation that could neither be eliminated nor made to operate satisfactorily. The African politico-geographical map is thus a permanent liability that resulted from the three months of ignorant, greedy acquisitiveness during a period when Europe’s search for minerals and markets had become insatiable.
WEEKLONG PROGRAM OF VIBRANT ACTIVITIES
Ras Hein Scheepers, the Public Relations Officer of the Adwa Movement said: “We are honoured to be a co-constructor of a weeklong programme that raises awareness about decolonisation which is intended to educate the public in understanding the effects of the historical legacies of the Berlin Conference and how it continues to impact the underdevelopment of the continent. While reflecting on the past, the project will also be setting its sight on the progressive future for Africa and its peoples”
From revolutionary Hip Hop artists like Isaac Mutant to Indigenous Culture Activists like Bradlox van Sitters, from Indigenous Knowledge Systems Exhibits to Film Screening, from Poetry to Jazz, and from Keynote Speakers and Panel Discussions to A Vibrant March led by Rasta Nyahbingi Drum Rhythms, the RCHD Week will have Daily events that are family friendly, informative, highly inspirational and absolutely free.
We have already told you in a previous article about the Film Screening event at Iziko Museums.
Free Film Screenings at Roots Culture Heritage & Decolonisation Week
There is also the awesome Pre Launch Concert at Trenchtown on Tuesday 25 February 2025.
SUPER LINEUP FOR PRE-LAUNCH CONCERT
EVENTS AT THE CASTLE
There will be daily events at the Castle of Goodhope from 26 to 28 Frebruary 2025 from 18:00 to 20:00 starting with the Official Launch Event.
On Saturday 1 March RCHD Week will culminate in the Annual Adwa x Salt River Victories Parade.
RCHD WEEK & THE GROWTH OF ADWA MOVEMENT ANNUAL COMMEMORATIONS
The events spread across the inaugural Roots, Culture, Heritage & Decolonisation Week – RCHD Week 2025 will illuminate the remembrance and regeneration of a Glorious Africa.
After a decade of annually hosting the Adwa x Salt River Victory Parade in Cape Town on 1 March, Adwa Movement and their partners aim to grow the RCHD Week to one of the most important entries on Cape Town and Africa’s Annual Cultural Events Calendar.
According to Ras Hein Scheepers, Public Relations Officer of the Adwa Movement, Adwa Movement was started by activists from the Rastafarian Community, and thus at first the Adwa x Salt River Victory marches were primarily attended by Rastafarians, but as collaboration grew with civil society organisations, activists and academics over the past decade, the annual march has grown with inclusion of many beyond the Rasta community.
“Our aim is to make the Roots, Culture, Heritage and Decolonisation Week as inclusive as possible and create social awareness of how thse four pillars of RCHD Week are interconnected, not only in terms of our collective history but also how very important it is for our future as Africans.”
As an official media partner of RCHD Week, we at Bruinou.com look forward to seeing you there.
