Staff Reporter
The long-awaited official opening of the Gondwana Collection’s Etosha King Nehale lodge finally became a reality last weekend under the theme ‘A night with the King.’ The event was co-hosted by Gondwana Collection Namibia and King Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo of the Ondonga Traditional Authority. Guests included the environment, forestry and tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta, chairperson of the Ondonga Traditional Authority John Walenga, senior councillors of this traditional authority and a host of other prominent personalities. Chief Herman Ndilimani Iipumbu of the Uukwambi Traditional Authority, Chief Mathias Kaunashoto Walaula of the Ombadja Traditional Authority and representatives of the other traditional authorities and the ever-so-popular ‘I laugh Namibia’ comedians Neville Basson and Lazarus Jacobs were likewise present.
The official opening of the lodge, situated in the King Nehale Conservancy just north of the Etosha National Park, was originally planned for the end of May 2020, but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gondwana Collection Namibia Founder and Brand and Marketing Director, Manfred Goldbeck, announced during the course of the evening that the group is celebrating the occasion by donating all the room fees for the weekend’s event to the Oompale Trust Fund. The income generated will go towards the construction of ‘The Gondwana House’, which will be used as the king’s guest suite at the Onambango palace south of Ondangwa.
An early day awaited guests on Saturday for the Ekulo Lyeelo Nokutemeno Omulilo or Lighting of the Fire Ceremony, which is performed as a welcoming ceremony when a new home is taken into use. Senior Traditional Councillor of Ondonga, Tatekulu Shifotoka Nambandja, lit the fire in the boma, using dry cow dung and four pieces of tamboti wood as fire-starters, and then placed a log of an Omusati tree (Mopane) on the fire at 05:00.
As is customary, guests then gathered outside to wait for sunrise as it is believed that if someone is up before sunrise, he or she will find something good and worthwhile before the latecomers arrive. This was followed by the unveiling of the plaque by King Nangolo and Shifeta to declare the lodge officially open.
Around mid-morning, several guests joined a guided game-viewing drive to Gondwana Collection’s exclusive waterhole in the Etosha National Park. Perched on the very edge of the waterhole, the hideout offers expansive views over the waterhole and the surrounding area. The arrival of a large herd of elephants was undoubtedly the highlight of the excursion.
Meanwhile, the popular comedians Basson and Jacobs had guests in stiches on the evening of Saturday, 10 December 2022, which was set aside as a fundraiser for the Oompale Trust Fund.
The fund was established a few weeks after the inauguration of King Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo in June 2019. It is named after the centuries-old taxation system that requires households in Ondonga to bring a portion of their new mahangu or sorghum harvests through their villages to the palace. This enabled the king to provide food to vulnerable people, especially during droughts, and for use during ceremonies and public events.
Three accommodation vouchers donated by Gondwana Collection Namibia were auctioned for a total of N$33 000. Excitement was high when bidding opened for a Simmentaler stud bull, donated by Namibia’s first black stud breeder, Sidney Martin. After some hectic bidding, the bull, valued at N$80,000, was sold to well-known businessman Mannetjies Kambonde for a whopping N$100 000. The funds raised by the auction will be used for the construction of the King’s quarters, and a guesthouse for use by Gondwana Collection Namibia at the palace.
In his speech, Shifeta lauded the initiative taken by Gondwana Collection Namibia to establish a joint venture partnership with the King Nehale Conservancy, saying it could be used as a case study for successful joint venture partnership agreements in conservancies.
He pointed out that the group had paid a total of N$1.4 million to the King Nehale Conservancy to date and N$214 000 to the Ondonga Traditional Authority, while the ministry received N$500 000 in park entrance fees for visitors to Gondwana Collection Namibia’s exclusive waterhole in the Etosha National Park.