Vice President Lucia Witbooi says it is through initiatives and institutions like Miss NGO Namibia that young people are taught to not only be proud of their roots, but also to understand and respect the roots of others.
Witbooi gave these sentiments at the weekend during the preliminary competition of the Miss NGO 2025 in Windhoek whose crowning ceremony will take place later this year at a venue to be announced.
“You must be proud that you are a Herero, Nama, Tswana, Omwambo, but in the meantime, do not forget to respect others’ roots. Cultural diversity is a matter that is deeply connected to me and not just as a vice president but as someone who has long been committed to advocating for marginalised communities and ensuring our shared historical backgrounds and addressing injustices,” said the VP.
She equally appreciated the role that pageantry plays in young people in terms of educating and advocacy and said: “I almost said we must also host Miss Genocide.”
Witbooi said pageantry is a platform for healing, unity, and the foundation for justice because for far too long, certain voices have been silenced and the community pushed to the side.
“This pageant can help correct that story by elevating and amplifying the voices of young women from diverse societal backgrounds in all 14 regions. This is also to reinforce that every Namibian’s voice matters,” she said.
Arts and culture minister Sanet Steenkamp said beauty contests are not merely pageants for the sake of it as the personalities taking part usually have courses, they are advocates who shine the light on important matters in society.
“The work the girls have been busy with is truly remarkable and gives me so much strength. It is because of initiative that more than 850 children were reached through these courses,” said the minister.
She noted that the advocacy, empowerment, and leadership the finalists portray through pageantry is profound and they must not take such platforms for granted.
“We require you to make a purposeful impact, that’s all. When I was young, we had a programme called The New You Beauty Programme – and I thought of the beauty of authenticity. The beauty of being ourselves, discovering strengths, what we stand for, and who we are,” she said.