Traditional authorities warned against succession disputes

Vice-President Lucia Witbooi has warned that succession-related disputes within traditional authorities hamper growth, stifle progress and stall development both in communities and the country at large.Witbooi made these remarks at the official opening of the 6th Annual Nama Cultural Festival at Keetmanshoop on Friday.This year&#039;s theme was &#039;Namakhoeda ge - /Gui!nâxasib- tsî ai!gûs /omkhâis !oa&#039;, which translates to &#039;Nama people striving towards progress, growth and sustainability&#039;.The vice-president said it is time for traditional authorities to resolve their differences amicably and to work together harmoniously under the umbrella of cultural unity while striving for social progress, growth and development.She reminded attendees that the 1858 Hoachanas Treaty united the entire Nama sub-tribes by fostering collective resistance against the colonial imperial conquest, which sought to enslave, subjugate and dispossess them of their land, heritage and humanity, Witbooi said. It is time to come together once more, she noted. "Today, we face a common enemy in the form of poverty, inequality and unemployment. To overcome these social challenges, we must come together as an integrated, reconciled and unified people,” Witbooi said.She urged Namibians to be mindful that progress, growth and sustainability can only be achieved through unity.She added that unity is the heartbeat of a collective people who understand their shared struggles, common history and cultural diversity."In social cohesion, we are bound together in a tapestry of strength, dignity and love, and these are prerequisites to our desired goal of achieving progress, growth and sustainability moving forward,” she said.Make use of opportunitiesThe vice-president added that the //Kharas region is endowed with vast natural and mineral resources, offering economic investment opportunities in extractive industries such as oil and gas, as well as green hydrogen production.She encouraged the region&#039;s communities to prepare for the opportunities emerging in these niche sectors. Witbooi further underlined that young people should take full advantage of opportunities available through education and skills development in the region, while also highlighting the value of creativity. “The creative industry is a sector of strategic national importance, through which the high levels of unemployment can be arrested," she said. "The onus is on the younger generations to cultivate a spirit of cultural pride and become the transmission belts for celebrating, maintaining and preserving indigenous music, art and dance.”Of great significanceWitbooi also emphasised that cultural festivals and days commemorating national events are not merely joyful gatherings.“Such occasions should enable Namibians to forge a stronger and more resilient nation anchored in the spirit of nationhood and patriotism," she said. The Nama Cultural Festival and all other cultural festivals offer lessons that pave the way for the Namibian nation to be a more harmonious and peaceful society through stories, customs, music, dress, dance and food, the vice-president added. Witbooi referred to the Namarokhoes, a traditional Nama dress made of colourful, unique, and beautiful patchwork, which symbolically represents how the Nama people are like fabric pieces beautifully sewn together to form part of Africa."Indeed, that is how African culture should be celebrated, maintained and preserved,” she pointed out.

Traditional authorities warned against succession disputes

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-03

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Traditional authorities warned against succession disputes

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-03

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