By Anna Shilongo
WINDHOEK
The annual Tsumeb Copper Festival, which aims at boosting the socio-economic competitiveness of Tsumeb, is set to run from October 31 until November 4.
The five-day copper festival also unites the residents of the town and provides a platform for mutual understanding and promoting business ventures.
The festival offers an opportunity to Tsumeb residents to showcase their economic and social competitive advantages to national and international investors.
This year’s event will be celebrated under the theme ‘Copper Mining Yours Ours’, an outcome of the school competition staged to find the most suitable theme for the festival.
The Chairperson of the Copper Festival Committee, Lemmy Geingob, told New Era that this year’s festival will be significant and interesting compared to previous years.
Geingob said they have included international and commercial traders who will showcase their talents as well as share and exchange expertise with local business people.
“This is necessary in order to allow entrepreneurs and business people to exhibit and market their products. This event is not only for Tsumeb residents but for the entire Namibian society,” he said.
Arrangements have also been made to provide top-class entertainment in sport, a beauty pageant and music by Namibian artists such as Gazza, Stanley, Stefan Ludik, Verdicts, local artists from Tsumeb and the Ndilimani Cultural Group.
According to Geingob, Weatherly Mining Namibia, an Australian company operating from London, has injected life into Tsumeb.
The mine has joined with the municipality and other stakeholders in turning the copper festival into reality.
It will showcase the processing of copper mining and the end products of copper during the festival.
During its short period of running the mine, the company is said to be making progress towards its social responsibilities.
The mine has so far created a lot of job opportunities for the inhabitants of the town.
“The company has already proved itself and its commitment to the development of the town and its residents,” said the chairperson of the copper festival committee.
As a countdown to the main event, a boxing tournament will be held on the first day of the show, and all professional boxers in the country are expected to take part.
There will also be a gala dinner and six-a-side tournaments during the festival.
The main event will be preceded by a street-naming ceremony, an event where leaders, captains of industry, community and national heroes will be honoured for their outstanding contributions to the struggle for independence and for other heroic deeds that benefit the community of Tsumeb.
Many dignitaries will also be present during the opening by President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
The Copper Festival in the past used to be an agricultural show like other shows in the country. It came into existence in 2001 and in 2003 the municipality of Tsumeb joined hands with the business community to make the show more attractive.