SHAME on the Windhoek Show Society (WSS). That is how one can see the plans which are now in the offing, albeit only next year, between the Otjiwarongo Show Society and Ongombe Farmers Association (OFA) to merge their respective shows into one show to be hosted in Otjiwarongo next year.
Who would have thought the WSS’s slamming of the door in the face of OFA by denying them to have their annual Okamatapati Show at the Windhoek Show Grounds this year would only open up a better window of opportunity to the OFA?
The WWS has decided this year “to teach” OFA “a lesson” by not allowing OFA to have its second edition of the Okamatapati Annual Industrial and Agricultural Show at the Windhoek Show Grounds this year. This is as if the WSS has ever been at peace granting the OFA access to the Windhoek Show Grounds last year.
For the first time in what was seen as a groundbreaking step in the history of the Okamatapati Annual Show and OFA, this show came to the city last year.
And indeed this seemed like something that did not go down well with many industrialists and farmers, if not the WSS itself, despite the latter granting the OFA permission. It has always been clear that most whites in this country have never been ready and are still not ready to share whatever they need to share with the blacks, be it the economic resources and facilities of this country.
That is all what one can honestly read in the U-turn of the WSS and the rest of its members about granting access to the OFA, that represents a section of the previously economically exploited and disadvantaged black communities, to the Windhoek Show Grounds. In this hour and age, the Windhoek Show Grounds still seem the exclusive domain of the previously advantaged, put more bluntly that of the whites be they Afrikaners, English or Germans.
As a result of this refusal, the OFA turned to Otjiwarongo where the show will be held this year from 25-30 August. Not only this but it now seems that Otjiwarongo will become the permanent home of the Okamatapati Show. Not only this but if all goes well with the Okamatapati Show, which is mainly a livestock show, it is likely to merger in a wonderful smart partnership with the annual Otjiwarongo Show, thus seeing next year, if all goes well only one show in this town. This is indeed great news for the town of Otjiwarongo and especially for the farmers of the Otjozondjupa Region, particularly communal farmers who would now have this golden opportunity to market their livestock in the capital of the region.
Besides the lack of proper facilities in Okamatapati in the Okakarara Constituency, one reason the OFA came to Windhoek last year was to expose livestock, especially from rural Otjozondjupa, to a broader market unlike at the show in Okamatapati that potential buyers have not only been shying away from but have either not been bothering to go to because of the remoteness of the place, not to speak of the inhospitable road networks in that part of the country.
When OFA staged its show in Windhoek last year, this was seen as a pioneering venture to better market their livestock. This was seen as the beginning of an end of the days of the Windhoek Show Grounds being an exclusive domain of the privileged white community.
But such blessing as it has come to seem, was short lived when the WSS revealed its true colours this year refusing the OFA access to the show grounds, apparently because show-goers to the OFA show last year did not behave, and also because apparently the OFA did not clean the grounds after its event.
But the OFA refuted this and rather saw the refusal as nothing more than an exclusivist attitude of the show grounds administrators/owners, who are still stuck in the stone age of exclusivity. But as another door seems to have shut another window of opportunity seems to be opening, if plans to merge the annual Okamapati Show and the annual Otjiwarongo Show come to fruition next year.
This is indeed a laudable initiative as livestock breeders from especially rural Otjozondjupa will be brought into the fold of commercial livestock marketing.
Many a time players in the livestock industry, notably the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), have been wishing and hoping for the day when commercial and communal farmers would enter into a smart partnership, whereby commercial farmers would help their fellows from the rural areas, as well as emerging farmers from the previously disadvantaged groups now venturing into commercial farming, to take off. Looks like Otjiwarongo is on the verge of taking the necessary lead in this regard, if this noble and innovative and pioneering idea materialises next year.
Thus one cannot but laud the Otjiwarongo Show Society and the OFA for such progressive thinking. Indeed this is testimony to the fact that agriculturalists and industrialists in this country, irrespective of their colour, can together engineer economic progress and propel the country towards economic prosperity thereby ensuring the welfare of all people.
Hoping, and of course praying that the idea will come to fruition, this is something that other towns should watch eagerly and follow suit when the idea is implemented. This is something that the capital of the Cattle Country, that is of the Omaheke Region, Gobabis, could learn something from.
Because the last two or three years this town has seen two competing agricultural and industrial shows, which has been divided on colour lines, something that has not been to the progress of the town.
Even this year one understands that the respective organisers would have separate and competing shows in the town.
While there have been pretences that things may change next year, there is no certainty that something like what is mooted in Otjiwarongo, will ever be emulated in Gobabis, given the seeming attitude of some commercial farmers in the Omaheke, especially the previously advantaged ones.