By Alicia Mmashakana
Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba has congratulated Murena Ṋetshiṱangani for winning the Best African Film award at the Cannes Festival for the month of March.
Lubunyu – A Village Under Terror was produced to align with the festival’s 2025 theme of combating gender-based violence and femicide.
The film beat the highly rated Nigerian movie My Father’s Shadow, which many expected to win.
“This is a defining moment for the creative sector of Limpopo and South Africa. Murena Emmanuel Ṋetshiṱangani has demonstrated that dreams nurtured in the quiet villages of Venḓa can echo across the world’s grandest stages,” the premier aid in a statement.
“We are immensely proud of him for carrying the heart of Venda, and indeed the spirit of Limpopo, to the world.”
Ramathuba recognised the continuous efforts by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and the Limpopo Arts and Culture Council in fostering and cultivating artistic talent throughout the province.
“The completion of the Limpopo Provincial Theatre will give room for artists to explore this and other genres in an area close to their homes,” she said.
Ṋetshiṱangani’s victory over strong competitors from major film-producing countries such as Nigeria marked a historic moment not only for the Vhembe District, but for the entire country, the premier’s office said.
The filmmaker, who returns to the country this week, hopes to have a shot at the grand prize at Cannes in France in June.
INSIDE POLITICS