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Walter Sisulu University students’ competitive edge has yet again secured multiple victories in the 2023 Higher Institutions Performing Arts Festival (HEIPAFEST), held in Pretoria for 6 days at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Nine universities attended the competition this year, under the theme: “Expressions of Gender Based Violence In Ways of Art” and WSU gained great triumph as the defending contestants from a previous competition back in 2019, with a great collaboration representation between the Butterworth, Komani and Mthatha campus.
Three categories were a core judgemental criterion for choirs, being for a Western and GBV African piece, another one for a GBV Isitibili and Own choice, then they were judged on an Overall performance category.
Senior Student Development practitioner, Khanyisa Blaai, said: “The WSU choirs were outstanding as the Butterworth campus occupied third position in the overall HEIPAFEST competition category of choirs, Komani campus securing second position on the Western & GBV African piece, and ranked third on GBV Isitibili and OWN Choice piece.”
Mthatha campus occupied first position on the GBV African piece and was ranked second on the GBV Isitibili and own choice piece.
Mthatha choir chairperson, Siseko Fakuni, said: “It was challenging having to choose a song in line with the given theme, which was to address issues around Gender Based Violence, but we chose the songs at heart and gave in all on our performances which in the end of the day it paid off.”
The Komani campus stood firm on debate grounds as they were outstanding in securing the golden prize for the WSU institution.
Student development practitioner, Amanda Mtsotso said, “On debate sessions, where a total of 8 teams were competing, the WSU Komani campus team was ranked first place as the best team of the competition, as well as the best speaker of the competition was of a WSU team”, which secured them two trophies on debate session.
Butterworth further extended the glory in a poetry session by winning the best original poet, also on the drama session they won an award for the best costume.
Another outstanding achievement in the performance’s arts, was one amazing talent applauded most of Silindokuhle Khumalo who played the role of “Nomalizo” in a story they narrated about GBV, securing them an award of the best supporting actor.
By Amthandile Mlonyeni
