Nama Cultural Festival inaugurated

KEETMANSHOOP, 26 MAY  – The Chairperson of the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA), Chief Seth Kooitjie officially inaugurated the Nama Cultural Festival here on Friday.
In his keynote address, Kooitjie said the festival should not be a once-off event and should enhance the daily lives of the Nama community and become an annual event.
“Let us celebrate this every year as from today. We as the NTLA also envisage that the Nama festival should become an economic tool for Nama people. We must advance our knowledge, we must patent our dress code and export it worldwide,” Kooitjie said.
He also said many people tried to reject the festival, claiming it is a tribal event, but he urged the Nama community to continue to celebrate who and what they are because they are God’s creation.
Kooitjie expressed a word of thanks to those who initiated the idea to unify all the Nama clans in and around Namibia.
“We thank our sons and daughters for today’s celebration because such celebrations inspire pride and dignity,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, Katrina Hanse-Himarwa urged people to attend such festivals more often as it helps them appreciate and respect each other, discovering their commonalities in the process.
“Commonalities are elements of social bonds that serve as measures for people to integrate intellectually, socially, politically and economically. Integration is a prerequisite for the maintenance of peace and stability,” said Hanse-Himarwa.
The festival started Thursday and ends Sunday.
(NAMPA)