02 Jul 2014

Maun is scheduled to celebrate 100 years of existence as a village next year.

Although infamous as the gateway to the Okavango Delta, Maun has a lot to celebrate as a cosmopolitan place with a rich cultural heritage.


The Ngamiland region of which Maun is the capital, prides itself with different tribes mainly Basarwa, Batawana, Bayeyi, Baherero, Bakgalagadi, Bahambukushu and others.

The people of Ngamiland are well known for their skills in crafts and weaving; especially those from Shorobe village to Seronga in the Okavango area, thus Ngamiland has earned a reputation as the bedrock of crafts.

In an interview, chairman of Maun 100 years organising committee, Kgosi Leatile Mogalakwe said they intend to use the celebrations to revive Maun’s stature.

He said although modernisation has set in Maun, it is a good thing that the Ngamiland culture is not completely depleted since people still cherish their culture such as the use of mokoro or canoes and traditional food like tswii remains.

Kgosi Mogalakwe said they want to seize the moment and introspect as the Maun leaders to make Ngamiland a desirable destination.

“Maun should not be known as a place where people engage in drinking spree when they are tired of the city life. The area should be celebrated for its rich talent and culture where people can be entertained at cultural events from the diverse cultures found in the area,” he said.

He said that they wanted to make Ngamiland a cultural heritage site, with calendar of events of the different tribes in their respective villages and settlements.

However, Kgosi Mogalakwe pointed that it is disheartening that the Ngamiland region with its riches and talents still has people who are poor and unemployment is still rife.

As such, he said their wish is to see people of Ngamiland utilising their skills and talents for survival, to improve their livelihoods.

He said they embrace both the cultural aspects and the modern skills since they appreciate that they have to harmonise tradition and modernisation.

On other issues, he said other than the talent in crafts; there is a lot of talent in sports and athletics in the Ngamiland region with the likes of Amantle Montsho and Glody Dube.

Recently, he said a football team from the region, Sankoyo Bushbucks also made history by ascending to a place in the prestigious be Mobile league.

Kgosi Mogalakwe encouraged Ngamiland community to take part in the build up for the 100 years celebrations, adding that his committee is open for ideas and contributions from the people and companies in the region. Ends