PRESIDENT Hage Geingob on Monday said culture is an important aspect of what constitutes the Namibian house, and described the Council of Traditional Leaders as the protectors of culture.
He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 22nd annual meeting of the Council of Traditional Leaders, taking place in Gobabis in the Omaheke region.
Common issues affecting traditional communities and communal land are scheduled to be discussed at the meeting, which is taking place until Friday this week.
Geingob said through culture, people identify their values, beliefs and customs.
“It is the glue that binds us as inhabitants of this house, allowing us to identity with one another and thereby cementing the unity that exists amongst us […] Cultural heritage provides us a sense of belonging and binds us to our ancestry so that we can appreciate our common history as a Namibian people,” he said.
The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development in a press statement said that the 51 officially recognised traditional authorities – each of which is entitled to send two representatives – would take part in the meeting.
Last year, Geingob criticised the fact that traditional leaders were not using customary law to resolve disputes, but were using what he termed as “white culture” by taking disputes to court.
At the time, the king of Ondonga, Elifas Kauluma, had been summoned to court to testify on succession disputes between factions in the Ondonga community.
In June this year, Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo was recognised officially as the successor of the late king, who died in March.
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