Patience Makwele
Residents of Etayi in the Omusati region have been urged to turn their cultural heritage into an economic opportunity by creating jobs, generating income and building wealth from cultural products and services.
The call was made by Etayi constituency regional councilor Hans Haikali, whose remarks were delivered on his behalf by Joseph Nenghwaya, during the opening of the 2026 Etayi annual regional cultural festival at Iipandayaamiti Combined School on Monday.
Haikali said culture should not only be preserved and celebrated, but should also contribute to the socio-economic upliftment of communities across the region’s 12 constituencies.
He urged communities to add value to cultural products and services, saying this could create jobs and generate wealth.
He also encouraged out-of-school performance groups to position themselves to perform for tourists visiting the Omusati region, both locally and internationally.
“They are marketing themselves to the audience and earning hard cash for themselves,” Haikali said.
He said Namibia’s cultural diversity should be used as a strength to unite the country rather than divide its people.
Haikali noted that culture had historically been used as a tool to rule and divide Namibians during colonialism, but said the country now has a collective responsibility to use its diverse cultures to promote national unity and development.
“Our diversity is our richness and not weakness,” he said.
He further encouraged learners to take education seriously and pursue further studies, while cautioning that development should not come at the expense of cultural identity.
“Development does not mean we must abandon our culture,” Haikali said.
Linus Mingeli, acting inspector of education for the Etayi Circuit, urged learners participating in the festival to do so with confidence, discipline and pride while respecting the cultures of others.
Mingeli said cultural activities should contribute to building a society that is united in its diversity and confident in its identity.
He said the education authorities would continue supporting cultural activities through teaching and school events, describing the festival as an opportunity to strengthen learners’ appreciation of their heritage.
Iipandayaamiti Combined School principal Luis Marcus said the festival was not merely a gathering for spectators, but an opportunity to celebrate and preserve heritage for future generations.
Marcus said culture is carried through songs, dances, traditional attire, proverbs and stories passed down from one generation to another.
He said the school was proud to contribute to raising young people who pursue academic excellence while maintaining pride in their cultural identity.
The festival brought together schools and cultural groups to showcase the diverse heritage of the Omusati region under this year’s focus on preserving heritage for future generations.
