By William J. Mbangula
Oshakati
The Tsumeb Copper Festival will be celebrated in style this year because of the involvement of new stakeholders. The event will take place from October 31 to November 04. Among those to give more impetus to the event is President Hifikepunye Pohamba who is expected to be the keynote speaker.
The festival will be held under the auspices of the Tsumeb Municipality although the organising committee is made up of community members.
Municipal officials such as the mayor, chairman of the management committee and the chief executive officer of the town are only serving as ex-officio members.
According to the chairman of the 12-member preparatory committee, Lemmy Geingob, arrangements for the festival have reached an advanced stage.
About 90 000 people are expected to visit what some people refer to as Tsumeb’s mini trade fair. Last year’s records show that about 40 000 people attended the event.
Geingob said this year’s festival is significant and will be interesting because many dignitaries will be present during the opening by the Head of State.
Besides, the marketing campaign of the event started very early, reaching many potential stakeholders. Geingob explained that the financial contribution by the business community in and around Tsumeb this year has been encouraging. 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 and the overall performer Ndilimani. Concerning sister municipalities, Geingob urged them to participate fully as a way to ensure close interaction and support for each other’s local economy.
Last year the towns of Ongwediva, Oshakati, Otjiwarongo, Otavi, Rundu, Grootfontein and the cities of Walvis Bay and Windhoek participated. Said Geingob: “We hope to have this year the full participation of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) as well as the Ministry of Trade and Industry. At the same time we are inviting all sister municipalities and regional authorities to book stands at the festival.
“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.
“We need to emphasise the fact that Tsumeb is the most strategically placed town in the north. It is the gateway to the key towns in Namibia such as Grootfontein, Otavi, Otjiwarongo, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Windhoek, Ondangwa and many others.”
He noted that originally the festival was held under the care of the local mine but the municipality was not satisfied with the level of participation, hence it intervened in 2005.
With the takeover of the mine by Weatherly Mining Namibia, an Australian company operating from London, Geingob said life has been injected into the activities of the mining industry at Tsumeb.
Again Weartherly Mining Namibia is one of the key sponsors of the festival and will participate fully in the event. Last year, it could not make it because the festival took place at a time when it was restructuring itself. This time it will be tasked with the responsibility of showcasing the processing of copper mining and the end products of the copper. It is said that the company has already proved itself during the short time it has been operating in Tsumeb and that it is committed to the development of the town and its residents.
Explaining why the event is called Tsumeb Copper Festival, Geingob said the northern town is famed for its underground copper wealth, hence copper is playing a central role in promoting the town’s image.
Apart from copper mining, Geingob explained, the town should be commended for having attracted investors who are now providing essential services not seen before in and around it, such as the truck port where heavy-duty vehicles are repaired. Potential heavy fleet owners such as the Government need not send their vehicles to be repaired in South Africa anymore. He urged the Government to make use of the truck port not only to save costs but also to support the local economy of Tsumeb.
The festival will be held under the theme, ‘Mine your ours’, an outcome of the school competition staged recently to find the most suitable theme. It was coined by Tsumeb Secondary School, which won N$500 and N$300 for the learner who came up with the idea.
As a countdown to the main event, a boxing tournament will be held shortly before the festival. Some of the best boxers in Namibia are expected to participate.