THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
His Royal Highness Céphas Kosi Olatidoye Bansah was recently crowned the Golden Winemaker 2022 in the city of Bad Dürkheim, the heartland of the wine-producing region of southwest Germany.
The 74-year-old Ghanaian, who is the Togbe Ngoryifia of the Hohoe Gbi Traditional Area, Volta Region, was bestowed with the prestigious honour at a festive reception in the large council hall of the famous city in the presence of the city’s elite and the media.
Accompanied by his wife, Gabriele, and an entourage, comprising his court marshal, lady-in-waiting and court photographer, König Bansah, as he’s popularly called in the German media, appeared at the ceremony in traditional robes with golden crown, sceptre and opulent jewellery.
The Ghanaian traditional ruler was honoured for “realising many aid projects and thus improving the living conditions of his people,” the Carnival Society Bad Dürkheim said in the laudation.
Addressing the 200-strong audience, Chief Bansah thanked his partners, friends and supporters in the Palatinate region who have backed him in his efforts to improve the living conditions of his people in Ghana through the provision of portable drinking water, construction of bridges and other development projects.
Even though he doesn’t drink alcohol, it never crossed his mind to reject the award, he told the ceremony, extolling the openness of the people of the region. Bansah had also made history in 1999 when he was crowned the first wine king in German history, helping to revive a dying tradition.
The honour of Golden Winemaker (Goldener Winzer) has been awarded annually since 1974 by the Carnival Society to personalities from politics, sport, science and culture.
The first laureate was the then Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate and later Chancellor of the Federal Republic, Helmut Kohl. Past award winners also include the legendary Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, actress Maria Schell, astronaut Ulf Merbold, football legend Fritz Walter, folk actor Willy Millowitsch, wildlife filmmaker Heinz Sielmann, science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar and, most recently, singer-songwriter Heinz Rudolf Kunze.
Earlier in the day, Chief Bansah had celebrated the 30th anniversary of mounting his throne as the traditional chief of the 300,000-strong Gbi community of Hohe Gbi in the Volta Region of Ghana, a region that is home to the Ewe people.
Togbui Céphas Bansah has been living in Ludwigshafen am Rhein since 1970 and he runs a car repair shop and works with his wife Gabriele to raise funds for the implementation of development projects in his home country.
Femi Awoniyi
Support König Bansah for Ghana
You can support the humanitarian work of Chief Céphas and Mrs Gabriele Bansah in Ghana by donating to the account of König Bansah Ghana Förderverein e.V. as follows:
VR Rhein Neckar eG
IBAN DE76 6709 0000 0085 1977 03
BIC GENODE61MA2
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