Vice president Lucia Witbooi says traditional leaders must work together to promote unity and nation-building among the citizens who follow them.
Witbooi made this call during the annual Batshara Cultural Festival at Sangwali in the Zambezi region on Sunday.
The Mayeyi Traditional Authority, under the leadership of chief Boniface Shufu, celebrated this year’s cultural festival under the theme ‘Our Rivers, Our Life, Our Heritage’.
Witbooi said because traditional authorities have so much influence over their tribespeople, they must work together to foster unity and nation-building.
She added that it is the government’s desire to see all traditional authorities in the country take the path of harmony and peace.
“Therefore, I urge our traditional leaders to be on the forefront to pursue unity, nation-building and a reconciliatory approach at all times. We desire to see the traditional leaders of this region and their subjects visiting each other, consult each other on matters of development and mutual concern and promote peace and understanding between themselves at all times. Let us guard our country against divisive elements such as tribalism, regionalism and racism. We are one Namibia, one nation,” she said.
Witbooi added that unity among citizens is what the country’s fathers and mothers fought for.
“Let us distance ourselves from ideas, attitudes and practices that will undo the progress we have made over the years,” she said.
She said she was pleased to see other traditional leaders within the region and even from outside the country at the festival, saying it promotes unity and peace among traditional leaders within the county and the Southern African Development Community region.
“This is indeed commendable,” she said.
She called on Namibians to embrace their cultures, customs and traditions with the purpose of understanding each other better and uniting as one society.
“If we do that, we will overcome most challenges facing us, both politically, socially and economically. Therefore, let us hold hands through culture to solve our problems together and move in one direction as united people belonging to one country, one future and one destiny,” she said.
