01 Sep 2019

Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration (MOPAGPA), Machana Shamukuni, says culture is a critical component of nation building and unity.

Officiating during the fourth annual Nama Cultural festival in Lokgwabe on August 30, Shamukuni said government was therefore committed towards cultural preservation and the overall development of its people. Nama is a tribe found at Lokgwabe, with its origins in South Africa and the tribe found its way to Botswana through Namibia.

Through the event the Nama people aims to reconnect with their counterparts from other countries.

Shamukuni said in its effort to show commitment towards cultural preservation, government, had outlined its stand through the second pillar of the national vision 2036 of ‘human and social development’ whereby culture is recognised as a vehicle that could assist in building a united nation.

Shamukuni said through events such as cultural festivals, government could find ways to empower their communities economically and attaining the vision of having a knowledge based economy.

He said upholding culture preservation along with indigenous knowledge was critical as it could assist government in implementing sustainable development policies, which are outlined in the UN sustainable development framework of 2017-2021 which Botswana is a part of.

He further challenged local authorities to take heed of the BW Nama Development Trust to assist and direct them towards possible avenues that are at their disposal.

On other issues, Shamukuni said despite the struggles that the Nama people had gone through, there was a great potential of tripartite projects of the cultural tourism between Botswana, Namibia and South Africa in the form of a heritage trail that would connect the three respective communities.

The assistant minister said there was also an opportunity to solicit exchange programmes through twinning agreements between the respective countries.

Moreover, he encouraged the Nama ladies to nurture and preserve their indigenous knowledge on massaging, which he said could be sold to the locals and the nation at large since the festival was recognised internationally

Shamukuni also lauded the festival organisers for their efforts and urged them to take note that whilst they embraced their own indigenous cultural identities it was equally important that they engaged in cross cultural activities with other ethnic groups within their locality to avoid cultural conflicts.

“No tribe should regard themselves superior than the other, only then, we can co-exist peacefully with mutual respect and a common understanding” he said.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Merapelo Tshweneyagae of Hukuntsi extolled the BW Nama Development Trust for hosting an event of such magnitude which attracted patrons from Namibia and South Africa.

He said the event also aided in strengthening bilateral relationship between the three countries.

He expressed concern over the extinction of indigenous languages and pleaded with government to consider their inclusion in the school curriculum for preservation especially amongst the young generations.

Giving the trust’s objectives the Trust Chairperson, Edwin Saidoo said the festival intended to solidify the existence of Nama people in Botswana and the conducive interactions they continue to enjoy with other tribes.

He said they aimed to revive the Nama language, which he observed was dying especially in Botswana and sought to restore the deteriorating culture.

Saidoo further said they look forward to engaging stakeholders with intention to establish a heritage trail that would trace the routes followed by the Nama people from their South African roots until their ultimate arrival in Botswana via Namibia.

In his closing remarks, Lokgwabe/Tshane ward Councillor, Aidoo Leshope applauded the BW Nama Development Trust for hosting the cultural event every year as he said its establishment had uplifted their village to be known country wide and even internationally.

The event was themed; Cultural Inheritance, a Gateway to Identity ENDS