![Mossel Bay Executive Mayor, Alderlady Ferreira, proceeds to cut the cake at the celebrations Mossel Bay Executive Mayor, Alderlady Ferreira, proceeds to cut the cake at the celebrations](https://www.westerncape.gov.za/sites/www.westerncape.gov.za/files/mossel_bay_executive_mayor_alderlady_ferreira_proceeds_to_cut_the_cake_at_the_celebrations.jpg)
On Wednesday 3 February 2016 the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), in collaboration with the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex and Mossel Bay Municipality, hosted the 27th birthday celebration of the Dias Museum.
The museum’s birthday has been celebrated every year since its opening in 1989, and this year was no exception. Since the municipality had taken over the organising of the Dias festival four years ago, the museum has been using the birthday celebration as a way of contributing to the big festival.
People showed up for the celebrations in great numbers. A total of 397 people attended the event and 230 of those were learners from the surrounding primary schools. The school children were bussed to the museum and back to the respective schools by the municipality. The event was also graced by the presence of the Consul General of Indonesia and the Mayor of Mossel Bay. The two door-size cakes were enough for all the attendees.
The audience was entertained by Mossel Bay Sea Cadets and Imekhaya Primary School Dance Group. Famous South African tenor, Manuel Escorcio, kept the audience entertained with his music performance after coming out of the caravel dressed as Bartolomeu Dias.
The museum manager, Mbulelo Mrubata, said that the museum has always been positioning itself as a cultural hub of Mossel Bay. “This event presented the museum with the perfect opportunity to contribute in uniting people of different cultures, races and ages,” he said.
DCAS preserves our heritage for future generations. Let’s celebrate our heritage, BETTER TOGETHER.
Tania Colyn
Head of Communication Service
Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Tel: 021 483 9877
E-mail: tania.colyn@westerncape.gov.za