Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa has called on communities in the Zambezi Region to put aside tribal differences and work together to promote development.

He made the call at the Mafwe Traditional Authority's cultural festival gala dinner at Katima Mulilo.

Sankwasa says divisions among communities are holding back development in the region.

He called on the region's four traditional authorities to use cultural festivals to celebrate their diversity and promote unity and development.

"So as we celebrate all the cultural festivals in this region, we must know that we are one and the same; we have spent so much energy, so much time in discussions on who's a Mafwe, who is a Subia, who is a what, but the more we discuss that, the more backwards we are."

He expressed concern over what he described as a decline in development in Katima Mulilo since independence in comparison to its state before independence.

The gala dinner was held to raise funds for the annual Lusata Cultural Festival slated to take place next week at the Mafwe Traditional Authority headquarters.

"This is a great event; for those willing to learn, they must learn. These are the types of events that are fitting where fundraising is concerned, and may we not stop here? Let us try harder so that even next year we are able to do better than this, mobilise in different areas and communities, and also be known out there," said Ngambela in the Mafwe Traditional Authority, Borniface Mayemeko.

The gala dinner raised N$177,330 in pledges with some donated livestock.