The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Director General, Menesia Muinjo, says traditional authorities play a key role in preserving cultures and traditions.

Muinjo said this during a courtesy call to the Gciriku Traditional Authority in Kavango East.

"The traditional authorities, including the Gciriku TA, are key in what we do, especially when it comes to guarding against the emerging risks that are likely to destroy our culture. So, we have to help preserve that culture, but to do it correctly, we need the guidance, the leadership, and the input of what we do daily from our leaders."

She highlighted youth and women's empowerment, sports and cultural events as areas of cooperation, amongst many others.

"Is NBC able to come there and learn and pick up something that other communities in other regions can learn? This is really what we want to open up to and say: the news and programmes that we broadcast, or provide to the audience now, need to diversify. We need to change. We keep the value, we keep the quality and what is good, but we need to add what was not there."

Muinjo says the NBC is also willing to collaborate with traditional authorities on a number of social responsibility programmes.

"Both sides may not have the cash, but we can have a strategy to say, 'Do we approach maybe UNICEF together, because this has to do with kids?' Do we approach a businessperson in Windhoek, maybe not here or Kavango East, so those services are there?"

Some of the issues the traditional authority raised included TV licence payments, sport coverage and poor radio reception, particularly in some areas inland.

Hompa of the Gciriku Traditional Authority, Bartholomeus Kayoka, thanked the NBC delegation for the visit and agreed to reach out should the need arise.