By Joe-Chintha Garises
KEETMANSHOOP, 01 June 2022 – The Nama Cultural Festival has turned out to be what it was initiated for “which is to engender a sense of unity, create a platform for transgenerational transfer of knowledge and preservation of culture. We had a very well attended festival, particularly by the youth,” according to public relations officer Antonio Stuurman.
“The Gospel Concert for this year was also one of the highlights in addition to all the different activities,” Stuurman added.
The festival that took place from 26 to 29 May at the Westdene Stadium in Keetmanshoop was the biggest festival for the Nama community. The community hosts this festival with pride as there is always something to learn at it about cultural heritage.
“Obviously, it’s always an ongoing effort, but the festival has played a vital role in cementing unity within the Nama community.”
The Nama Festival is the only festival where all Nama tribes gather regardless of their different clans. The biggest challenge for the committee was logistics before the event but with the assistance provided by key stakeholders and sponsors such as the Keetmanshoop Municipality, //Kharas Regional Council and Namdeb Diamond Corporation, they were able in some measure to mitigate some of the challenges which they faced.
“The festival only ended yesterday. Hence we are yet to determine whether there will be any income remaining after expenses are settled,” he concluded. – Namibia Daily News
