WITH the coming of spring the streets of Joburg are expected to burst into life after the long cold winter - to the sound of carnival.

Some 45 troupes will take part this year, the fourth Gauteng Carnival; and some 15 000 people are expected to attend the colourful event on 6 September.

With the theme Pale ya rona, which means telling our stories, the parade will depart from Mary Fitzgerald in Newtown at 9am, and make its way across town to the Johannesburg Stadium in the east.

Well known for flamboyant costumes and foot-tapping entertainment, the carnival will celebrate the province's diverse cultures and artistic talent.

Through the carnival we seek to transfer the skills that are important to the creative industries, such as costume-making, music, dance and song,said the Gauteng MEC for sports, arts, culture and recreation, Barbara Creecy.

It is organised by her department to develop the creative industries in the province and to help create jobs. Secondly, we want to build social cohesion by creating activities that give young people an opportunity to understand and express their heritage and cultures,Creecy added.an>

Preparations for the carnival kicked off with workshops at the Sibikwa Community Centre in Ekurhuleni earlier this year. The department invited one of the leading exponents of cultural art in the form of carnival costume design and construction in Trinidad and Tobago, Stephen Derek, to train 30 young Gauteng carnival practitioners.

The large costumes that he assisted in designing and building will be featured in this year's carnival," Creecy said.

To liven up the parade, the department has also struck up partnerships with the French Institute and Thai and Chinese embassies and organisations to bring their lion and dragon dancers. Afrikaanse Volkspele, Scottish, French, Portuguese and Tamil federations will join the parade.

The first secretary of the royal Thai embassy, Kudatara Nagaviroj, said the group was excited to be part of the event. We are bringing 20 professional dance troupes from Thailand,while over 30 people from the Thai community in South Africa would join the carnival.