Ongwediva – Minister of Information and Communication Technology Tjekero Tweya officiated at the premiere of ‘Game On’ – a documentary film focusing on Namibian wildlife and the role played by the local people in its preservation.
‘Game On’ was launched last week at #Khoadi //Hoas Conservancy Hall in Grootberg in the Kunene Region. The documentary written and edited by Koos Greeff was funded with a grant of N$300 000 from the Namibian Film Commission last year.
The film is about the translocation of wild animals into the various conservancies in the Kunene Region, and how communities used the existence of wildlife in their communities to improve their livelihoods.
“The documentary being premiered tonight, ‘Game On’, will take us into the daily lives of our local heroes in our communities, individuals, government officials and NGOs in their efforts to get game re-introduced into the most remote areas of Namibia,” said Tweya.
‘Game On’ will further showcase the decades-long efforts of a Namibian award-winning Namibian environmentalist, Garth Owen-Smith, who established ‘conservancies’ in some rural areas by convincing local people to protect the wildlife and natural resources.
Owen-Smith scooped the Goldman Environmental Award in 1993 jointly with Margareth Jacobsohn for their praise-worthy environmental initiatives.
The documentary film shows that Owen-Smith and all other stakeholders’ efforts have not gone to waste, according to Tweya.
The minister praised Greeff and his team for doing a great job in producing the film.
According to Tweya, topics on local wildlife and the development of the film industry are important in keeping young people educated and informed about the preservation of knowledge and in conserving the environment.
“I am encouraged by the fact that our filmmakers and script-writers are coming up with themes that are relevant to our nation. The conservation of the environment is close to each and every Namibian’s heart and I believe this documentary will enable them to better protect their environment from harmful and undesired practices. Therefore, a deliberate effort must be made to make resources available to local filmmakers, film bodies, broadcasters and entrepreneurs to empower filmmakers to produce local content to inform and educate the nation,” said Tweya .
According to the ICT Minister, the Namibian Film Commission – which is an arm of his ministry – would continue to invest in the making of local films, adding that this year another opportunity will be open for communities to submit their stories for selection and development onto screen.
He maintained that the Namibian government has trans-located hundreds of wild animals, including giraffe and impala, to conservancies in the Kunene and Zambezi regions over the past few years. These were done to boost the numbers of wildlife in the conservancies and also to contribute towards the livelihood of the communities in these conservancies.
by Helvy Shaanika