08 Dec 2020

Ovambanderu community across the country has contributed over P12 000 towards the COVID-19 relief fund. 

Kgosi Manuel Nguvauva of Sehithwa confirmed in an interview that they saw the need to play their part and support  government to deal with the threat posed by the pandemic.

The pandemic, he said, had affected all and they believed the little they had contributed would assist those in dire need.

The money, he said, was accumulated through individual contributions, adding that part of it was accrued from their annual event dubbed ‘Otjingrine,’ which was aimed at promoting and preserving culture. 

The event is held Sunday of every Easter Holidays as Ovambanderu tribe from Namibia and Botswana converge at Dhaoga settlement,, some few kilometres from Maun, to celebrate the historic event.

This year, the event had to be cancelled as a response to control the spread of COVID-19.

Kgosi Nguvauva revealed that they had to observe the extreme social distancing regulation, hence the cancellation of the event. 

He also acknowledged efforts by the Ngami District Health Management Team (DHMT) in preventing the spread of coronavirus. The district, he said was doing quite well to control the risk of COVID-19 spread and urged the public at large to join hands with health officials and step up efforts to prevent the virus.

Kgosi Nguvauva also urged government to consider increasing the number of attendees at funeral services as the activity was sensitive and needed people to support one another. In their culture, he said they came in large numbers to express their condolences to the bereaved family, which support is hamstrung by the 50 attendees limit.

He acknowledged government efforts to regulate numbers in community activities such as weddings, but decried that some people continued to celebrate weddings in large number, also providing food.

People, he said should appreciate that government was tasked with a mammoth task of protecting the nation and ensure adherence to the health protocols to save lives.

Kgosi Nguvauva called on the community to continue washing hands with soapy water and observing social distancing all the time as well as wearing masks. Ends