The Hardap Regional Academic Awards saw the C. ||Oaseb Senior Secondary at Gibeon walk away with the top award as the overall best performing school in Grade 12 for the 2023 academic year.

The top award comes with a floating trophy and a cash prize of N$10,000. 

Desmond ||Kheibeb, the principal of C. IIOaseb Senior Secondary School ascribed the school's top academic achievement to teaching and learning basics.

A faction, under the leadership of Salomon Witbooi, also held a commemoration event for the annual |Khowese Gaogu Tses in Gibeon. 

Witbooi, who is challenging the recognition of Hendrik Ismael Witbooi as leader of the Witbooi Traditional Authority, has urged Gibeon residents and visitors alike to guard against vandalism of heritage sites.

The weekend celebrations, which started on Friday and ended on Sunday, featured a host of activities, including visiting historical places at Gibeon.

Witbooi was not pleased to see some heritage sites vandalised.

Members of the |Khowese Clan, under the leadership of Gaob Hendrik Ismael Witbooi, gathered at Gibeon for the annual Gaob Festival in remembrance of their fallen heroes.

At the festival, Gaob Witbooi led a parade of tribesmen on horseback to a fountain to pay their respects to the late Gaob Cupido Witbooi, who founded it in 1861.

The tribesmen simulated the war fought by the |Khowese Clan under the leadership of the late Gaob Hendrik 'Outa !Nanseb' Witbooi against the German occupation.