African culture in spotlight at annual event

Aklilu Hibtit said the event will include performances, food and celebration of Africa. Photo / iStock

African food, cultural performances and inspirational stories await visitors at this year's Auckland Africa Day.

With the theme "African unity", organisers are hoping the event tomorrow night will bring African communities and other New Zealanders together.

"Africa Day is a unique opportunity to highlight African culture and showcase contributions of Africans in New Zealand, promote integration and build partnerships and stakeholders," the African Communities Forum Incorporated (Acofi) said in a statement.

Aklilu Hibtit, a member of the Eritrean community, said: "There will be engagement, performances, awareness, food and celebration at the same time."

He said organisers were hoping the annual event this year will reach a wider audience, and provide Africans and non-Africans with an opportunity to strengthen their understanding of each other, and celebrate the rich cultures of African nations.

The event will take place at the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall from 5pm until late tomorrow.

In March, an AUT study found African minorities, many of whom arrived here as refugees, were being targeted unfairly and sometimes in a racist manner by police.

Fatumata Bah, 22, who will be speaking tomorrow, says many African minorities face discrimination.

"There's obviously a lot of bureaucracy, red tape and institutional discrimination that we face," she said.

"But we are fortunate that we live in a society where there are rules and laws in place which, kind of, act to counteract that."

There are 13,464 people of African ethnicity counted in the the 2013 Census.

Sub-groups include 1617 Somalis, 1245 Ethiopians and 243 Eritreans.

Visitors to tomorrow's event are urged to don their "most colourful clothes" and put on their dancing shoes.

Auckland Africa Day 2016

• Tomorrow, May 28

• Mt Eden War Memorial

• 5 to 10pm, free