RUNDU – Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo has implored trainees at the Rundu Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) to value and appreciate their cultures, beliefs and norms, and not promote ‘gay’ tendencies now that they are getting an education.
He made the remarks recently at the RVTC’s official opening of the ‘Innovation, entrepreneurship, sports and cultural festival’, which ended on Sunday.
“Culture shapes us in countless ways. Culture determines the language we speak, the religion we practice, the traditions we observe, the food we eat as well and the values we uphold. Our cultural background influences our beliefs and opinions on important issues like politics, race and gender,’’ Wakudumo said.
“Recently, we had a very serious discussion about same-sex marriage. Now, you want to tell me, my son, that you bring a fellow son as an in-law, or you want to tell me, my daughter, that all the efforts I put in to bring you up and after you went to the RVTC, you become so educated and you come back with your fellow woman who’s my in-law?’’, Wakudumo asked the trainees.
He told them that in the African context, marriage is between two people from opposite genders – that is between a man and a woman.
Therefore, getting an education should not confuse people into indulging in gay activities, and feel they can do what they feel and forget their cultural norms, beliefs and morals.
“You want to tell me that God is stupid for creating men and women? You will never comprehend God’s understanding. He is the only one who created us, and we are diverse. We need to respect our norms, cultures and customs. There’s, thus, no way people of the same sex can be married,” he charged.
The governor stated that when it comes to human interactions, culture is one of the most important factors that help people to connect with others.
It provides them with shared values, beliefs and traditions that allow them to better comprehend and communicate with each other.
“It can also help us to build relationships and network with people from different cultures, which can be beneficial for business or personal purposes. Trainees, the fact that you happen to find yourselves here does not mean that you are cleverer than your poor father and mother,” he continued.
Wakudumo said, that because people have forgotten where they come from culturally, they are now getting involved in things of the world that are culturally wrong.
“If we don’t preserve our culture and customs, our future generations will be doomed and lost. So, it’s important for us to preserve our culture. I must also recognise our churches, as they teach us the Bible, the good news, but they never taught us to do away with our cultural beliefs,” he noted.
“When people came up with the same-sex marriage idea, you could see that the churches of Namibia and the traditional authorities said ‘no, it is against our customs, tradition and culture’. Mind you, reproduction will never happen between men and men or women and women. It can never work,” he said.
The governor encouraged trainees to spend more time with their parents to learn basic cultural norms, such as songs, poems and lifestyles.
“The fact that you are a trainee here, at the RVTC, doesn’t give you the authority that when you go on holiday, you should not listen to your parents and disrespect them. Now that you eat chicken at the RVTC daily, when we go back to our villages, we don’t want to eat traditional food. Let us remain what we are, as education needs to steer you into a better person, not a bad person,” he stated.
Caption (Wakudumo)