OMUTHIYA – The 14th Omagongo Cultural Festival, held at Onambango last weekend, has been described as successful as it attracted a diverse crowd and united people.

The chairperson of the 2024 Omagongo Cultural Festival preparatory committee Nahas Angula in an interview on Thursday expressed satisfaction with the turnout, saying people from all corners of the country attended.

“As far as attendance is concerned, all the chairs were occupied, and everyone tasted Omagongo (marula) as it was the main thing people came for,” he said.

He noted that although there were slight hiccups, he was satisfied with how the event turned out.
Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) chairperson John Walenga echoed Angula’s sentiments.

He said they were happy to have brought different cultures and leaders from various traditional authorities and political parties in Namibia together.

He said the festival was sponsored by the Ondonga community, which raised N$1.2 million through donations and other commitments.

“This is the first time the new king of the Ondonga Traditional Authority is hosting the festival at his palace, and given that he is vibrant and cheerful, he has brought many people from all corners of the country together to come and drink marula,” said Walenga.

OTA spokesperson Enkali Frans said he was pleasantly surprised by the attendance of Mafwe king George Mamili from the Zambezi Region, representatives of the Himba and Nama communities, as well as President Nangolo Mbumba.

“We thought this was just a cultural event, and we were expecting eight Aawambo kings. But we were surprised that it turned out to be a national event that brought various tribes together,” he said.

He said the presence of people from different cultures was fundamental, as they wanted to unite people and emphasise unity under the motto “One Namibia, One Nation.”

The event is held on an annual basis to commemorate the marula fruit harvest, celebrate Aawambo culture and foster unity among the Namibian people. -Nampa