President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged Namibians to embrace modern technology while fiercely protecting their cultural identity.

Speaking at the annual Munitenge Cultural Festival in Bukalo, Zambezi Region, Dr Nandi-Ndaitwah reminded the Masubia community that their cultural heritage remains the cornerstone of national pride amid rapid global digitisation.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasised that while technological advancement is essential for economic growth, it must never come at the expense of Namibia's rich traditions and indigenous values.

“In celebrating under the theme 'Preserving our cultural heritage, celebrating our future', this year's festival has a very strong message; it clearly highlights the need to jealously guard the diminishing Afro-cultural identity while adopting the new influence on our modern-day lives. It also underscores the importance of preserving our cultural heritage while meeting our future needs in areas dominated by artificial intelligence and technological advancements.”

The President also expressed concern with increasing land disputes that end up in civil courts.

“The number of succession disputes being brought before civil courts instead of being resolved through our customary law is increasing. We must recognise that allowing traditional succession matters to be determined by civil courts dilutes our cultural norms, if not removes them entirely from our communities.”

In a speech delivered on his behalf, Munitenge Gilbert Muhongo Mutwa Moraliswani III emphasised that culture and tradition are the cornerstone of development.

“To our youth, the world will tell you to forget who you are and where you come from. I want to tell you that this is not true. The world is hungry for people who know who they are. Use your smartphones to record the stories of your elders, use TikTok to teach a Sipelu dance step, and use your business to sell your crafts to the world. Be modern, but stay rooted. We must build tourism around our culture, not sell our culture to tourism.”

The ceremony featured cultural performances and a gifts presentation to the invited guests and traditional praise to the Munitenge.

Those in attendance included the Speaker of the National Assembly, members of parliament, and traditional chiefs from various traditional authorities in Zambezi and Botswana.