Cape Coast, July 21, GNA - Kohain Halevi Rabbi, Executive Secretary of the PANAFEST Foundation, on Monday said preparations were far advanced for the PANAFEST and Emancipation 2003 to take off on Friday. He said the festival, which would be celebrated under the theme: "uniting the African family-dialogue on African tradition and culture in the 21st century globalisation," would be celebrated at Cape Coast, Elmina, Kumasi and Accra.

In an interview with the GNA in Cape Coast, Halevi Rabbi said work on the erection of 125 stands for the PANAFEST fair was in progress at the Adisadel Park at Cape Coast. Events scheduled to take place in Cape Coast included a 'Fanti food bazaar,' reparation day, and a carnival. He said work at the Accra and Kumasi sites, where durbars of traditional rulers from the West African sub-region would be held, were also in progress. Mr Halevi Rabbi said so far, 50 registered exhibitors, including those from Nigeria, Burkina-Faso and the United Kingdom, were expected to participate in the fair.

He said 150 of the more than 500 registered participants from the United States were already in the country and other international participants were yet to arrive. Mr Halevi Rabbi said a total of 72 international and local artistes and groups, including Kay Boyd, Mike Philips and David Boykin from the United States, the Bahamas Youth choir from the Caribbean, Zimbabwean and Nigerian cultural troupes, Paapa Yankson, C.K Mann and A.B. Crentsil would entertain the audience.

Mr Halevi Rabbi expressed concern that due to financial constraints, the Cape Coast castle, where the 'reverential night' and other important events would take place, was not given a face-lift. He appealed to Ghanaians to support the PANAFEST Foundation to make the festival a success.