Niël Terblanché
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare officially opened the 2025 Olufuko Annual Cultural Festival on Friday, pledging that the government will revitalise, preserve, and promote indigenous knowledge systems across Namibia.
Speaking at the event in Outapi, Ngurare said Article 19 of the Constitution obliges the state to protect culture, and that commitment is now being reflected in national policy.
“Through the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, and the National Heritage Council, we are documenting languages, guarding heritage sites, and empowering traditional leaders,” he said.
Ngurare urged those in attendance to continue championing Namibian culture.
“Let Olufuko stand as a symbol of this dedication, a celebration of tradition, a platform for empowering women, and a reaffirmation of our identity,” he said.
This year’s festival saw 138 girls take part in the initiation rites, the highest number since the event was revived in 2012.
The girls arrived early last week to learn traditional etiquette, food preparation, and social responsibilities before Friday’s formal blessing by spiritual custodians.
Residents of Outapi lined the streets as the young woman, dressed in copper-colored skirts and adorned with shells, processed into the fenced homestead.
Ngurare paid tribute to founding president Sam Nujoma, the festival’s late patron, with a moment of silence.
“A nation without culture is like a tree without roots,” he said, quoting Nujoma and noting that the phrase has guided the festival since its beginning.
He called on organisers to preserve Olufuko as a national treasure and a space where generations connect.
He also said the government’s vision extends beyond annual ceremonies. The school curriculum is being revised to include indigenous history and oral literature with the same depth as subjects like algebra.
He added that the arts industry would receive new grant funding to support livelihoods in music, craft, and design.
“Customary practices will also be tested in the courts to ensure they are safeguarded within constitutional limits and never distorted for personal gain,” Ngurare said.
Festival chairperson Selma Asino-Shaumbwako said the record turnout justified the local authorities’ decision to expand dormitories and utilities at the Olufuko Centre last year.
The Outapi Town Council estimated that the festival could inject up to N$8 million into the Omusati regional economy through stall rentals, accommodation, and transport bookings.
“Tradition meets transformation here. We honour the past, but we also equip our daughters for the future,” Ngurare said. He emphasised the government’s duty to pass this heritage on to future generations.
“Without it, we would lose the very root of our nationhood,” he said.
