26 Oct 2015

A two-day Ghanzi Omaheke (Ghan-Oma) festival is viewed as growth of the tourism sector in the Ghanzi District. Ghanzi District Council chairperson, Thato Tshweneyagae, said this in Gobabis recently. 

Tshweneyagae said Botswana should learn from Namibia on issues of tourism both at district and national level. He noted that the Omaheke region in Namibia was more advanced with regard to tourism sector, therefore Ghanzi could benchmark from the event. 

Tshweneyagae also stated that the Ghan-Oma festival was an enhancement of the common cultural heritage that the two districts of Ghanzi and Omaheke shared. C

Tshweneyagae said the event also sought to exchange cultural products, performing artists and micro businesses from both regions as well as market them. 

For his part, governor of Omaheke region Festus Ueitele said his region continued to look for opportunities to promote a diverse range of cultural tourism as well as investment links between both countries. 

Ueitele further noted that with the signed twinning agreement of 2005 between Ghanzi District Council and Omaheke regional council; the two regions continue to cooperate in areas of culture, education and trade with the Ghanzi district participating actively at the Omaheke trade fair annually. 

He also said with this agreement, Setswana teachers had been deployed to Namibia in January this year.  

Therefore, Ueitele said the celebration of the Trans Kalahari partnership through the Ghan-Oma festival should be of importance for both countries to strengthen cooperation that is there. 

He also emphasised that the festival and the Trans Kalahari partnership is an enhancement of relations between the towns of Ghanzi and Gobabis which he said shared similarities. 

Ueitele said such events should be a reflection and continued contribution to the strong political, economic and cultural ties between Namibia and Botswana. Ends