Nujoma urges church leaders to allow cultural initiation
Former president Sam Nujoma said it is important that churches do not prevent their members from taking part in the Olufuko Cultural Festival as it is their democratic right to do so.
In a speech read on his behalf by the minister of industrialization and trade Lucia Iipumbu on Saturday during the Olufuko festival gala dinner at Outapi, Nujoma said church leaders should desist from stopping their congregants from practicing their culture because the constitution - as the supreme law of the land - gives that freedom to every citizen.
He said his sentiments are backed up by a study conducted by the Outapi town council with the assistance of the University of Namibia's (Unam) multidisciplinary research centre, which documented a very comprehensive socio-cultural study of Olufuko before and after the advent of colonialism.
"The study focuses specifically on Ombalantu with special reference to historical, religious and legal formalisation of family relations, including comparative analyses of the impact of Christianity on similar practices among other traditional communities in Namibia and across Africa," Nujoma said.
Important platform
Over the years, the festival has often been criticised and shunned by various detractors. Despite the criticism, the festival continues to grow, and this will be the ninth edition after a three-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"As we celebrate this occasion, so too must we examine why this cultural festival has both survived and thrived during the last eight editions. That is because the present is just as significant as the past, and the festival remains a symbol of excellence and an important platform for maintaining our cultural values, norms and heritage," he said.
Nujoma added that it is an open secret that those who do not value their culture and do not respect their own norms and traditions are easily influenced by others to accept 'alien norms' while looking down on their own.
He said as Namibia continues to tackle the related challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty in its society, they look to education, art and culture as the most effective means to break the cycle of underdevelopment and deprivation.
Rite of passage
"For the Olufuko Cultural Festival to reach its ninth edition, there is something special that it must have done well. My guess is that it has focused both on producing well-brought-up children and improving themselves so that they may better serve the needs of society at large," Nujoma said.
The festival is scheduled to take place from 1 to 7 July.
This year, more than 20 girls are taking part in this rite of passage.
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In a speech read on his behalf by the minister of industrialization and trade Lucia Iipumbu on Saturday during the Olufuko festival gala dinner at Outapi, Nujoma said church leaders should desist from stopping their congregants from practicing their culture because the constitution - as the supreme law of the land - gives that freedom to every citizen.
He said his sentiments are backed up by a study conducted by the Outapi town council with the assistance of the University of Namibia's (Unam) multidisciplinary research centre, which documented a very comprehensive socio-cultural study of Olufuko before and after the advent of colonialism.
"The study focuses specifically on Ombalantu with special reference to historical, religious and legal formalisation of family relations, including comparative analyses of the impact of Christianity on similar practices among other traditional communities in Namibia and across Africa," Nujoma said.
Important platform
Over the years, the festival has often been criticised and shunned by various detractors. Despite the criticism, the festival continues to grow, and this will be the ninth edition after a three-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"As we celebrate this occasion, so too must we examine why this cultural festival has both survived and thrived during the last eight editions. That is because the present is just as significant as the past, and the festival remains a symbol of excellence and an important platform for maintaining our cultural values, norms and heritage," he said.
Nujoma added that it is an open secret that those who do not value their culture and do not respect their own norms and traditions are easily influenced by others to accept 'alien norms' while looking down on their own.
He said as Namibia continues to tackle the related challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty in its society, they look to education, art and culture as the most effective means to break the cycle of underdevelopment and deprivation.
Rite of passage
"For the Olufuko Cultural Festival to reach its ninth edition, there is something special that it must have done well. My guess is that it has focused both on producing well-brought-up children and improving themselves so that they may better serve the needs of society at large," Nujoma said.
The festival is scheduled to take place from 1 to 7 July.
This year, more than 20 girls are taking part in this rite of passage.
- [email protected]
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