President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says the annual Omagongo Festival has grown into a notable national event that celebrates tradition and cultural heritage while recognising the hard work of women who prepare marula fruit for transformation into omagongo and other products.
This year's festival was being hosted by the Uukwambi Traditional Authority at Onamega village.
Various traditional authority leaders, cabinet ministers, and business people are among a score of guests in attendance.
Speaking at Onamega Village during the festival, Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah said the introduction of modern machines to extract omagongo will now allow men to take part in the process alongside women.
She added that Namibia remains grounded in rich cultural knowledge as a foundation for One Namibia, One Nation.
Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah also said the government remains committed to uplifting communities by leveraging natural resources to deliver economic benefits.
"On this occasion, we also celebrate the significance of this festival as an internationally recognised event inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition affirms Omagongo as a Namibian cultural treasure that we must continue to protect, preserve, and sustain for future generations."
She urged institutions of higher learning and research centres to study the use of Namibia's indigenous trees to support the modern economy, including applying traditional knowledge to contribute to sustainable development.
"This will not only diversify our economy but will also reduce the pressure from key traditional economic sectors such as fisheries, mining, and tourism, among others, for sustained job creation and economic transformation. Furthermore, institutions of higher learning and research centres should conduct research and document indigenous knowledge systems, including the uses of plants such as the marula tree, traditional food systems, oral literature, community practices, environmental knowledge and benefits in the modern-day economy, amongst others."
Uukwambi Traditional Authority Elenga enene Ndilimani Iipumbu says the Marula tree has remained a significant pillar in the Aawambo communities for decades.
Iipumbu says it was imperative for the 8 northern traditional authorities to celebrate Omagongo annually and share ancient practices, celebrate culture and reflect on various traditional norms and values in order to ensure they do not become extinct but are preserved for future generations.
Elenge Enene, Iipumbu encouraged the youth to continue to actively participate in the various cultural events.
"We undertook this imperative initiative to ensure that we celebrate our cultural heritage as a way to mitigate the possible extinction of our cultural norms and values as set by our forefathers. This event, for the past 16 years, has been a blueprint for our cultural heritage and, indeed, a unifying force not only for our traditional authorities in northern Namibia but also for all of Namibia. It's now up to our youth to ensure that they pass the baton on to generations to come."
Iipumbu also announced that the 17th edition of the festival will be hosted by the Uukwaluudhi Traditional Authority.