Zebaldt Ngaruka
EPUKIRO – Ovambanderu Traditional Authority (OTA) chief Eben Tjozohongo II Nguvauva said his recent trip to Namibia’s coastal towns went as planned.
Whilst visiting the coastal community in the Erongo region, Nguvauva handed over historical documents of the Ovambanderu people, which included pictures, to the Swakopmund Museum.
“This was aimed at reviving our history, which seems to be forgotten or is being erased. Our history must be told correctly to the youth and the tourists visiting our country,” he stressed.
Curator of the Swakopmund Museum, Nadine Phiri, told New Era that it is very important to preserve the history of every Namibian, and that of the Ovambanderu is no exception.
“The Ovambanderu people did an excellent job of preserving their history. People with stories must come forward while they are alive to share,” she added.
Upon his visit to Namport, Nguvauva requested the authority to consider the inhabitants of the Eiseb Block settlement for any developmental projects that may assist the area at large, as well as the job opportunities that may arise at the company.
Eiseb Block is situated in the Omaheke region’s Otjombinde constituency, and it comprises mostly people repatriated from Botswana.
The chief said the community’s developmental agenda and socio-economic upliftment had fallen dismally behind, and they, therefore, require special consideration.
“Even the educational agenda needs unique, assessed and tailor-made approaches that speak to the uniqueness and identity of the repatriated, majority inhabitants of the Eiseb Block community,” Nguvauva stated.
The chief also requested Namport to name either the port or a vessel in memory of the late Ovambanderu chief Kilus Munjuku III, who was the former deputy minister of works and transport, as well as deputy minister of fisheries and marine resources.
On his part, Rakurupa Murangi, who is the senior OTA councillor in the Erongo region, said the Ovambanderu community in the coastal areas were overwhelmed by the chief’s visit.
“It was an important visit, and we engaged various institutions and businesses to assist OTA and its communities in the areas of development,” he noted.
The Ovambanderu chief was accompanied by the OTA’s top hierarchy from various parts of the country.