Mariental:Vice President Lucia Witbooi has emphasized the need for greater efforts to protect Namibia's cultural heritage while fostering economic opportunities for artists, cultural practitioners, and young people.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Witbooi made the remarks at the official opening of the second Hardap Regional Arts and Culture Festival in Mariental. The event, themed 'Rooted in Heritage, Driven by Creativity, Inspiring our Future,' highlighted the importance of arts and culture in contributing to national identity, social cohesion, education, tourism, entrepreneurship, and employment.

Witbooi stressed that preserving and promoting Namibia's heritage is a collective responsibility involving families, communities, traditional authorities, schools, cultural institutions, artists, the private sector, and the government. She noted Namibia's international heritage recognition, such as Twyfelfontein and the Namib Sand Sea, both inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

She also highlighted Namibia's intangible cultural heritage, including the preservation of ancestral musical knowledge of the Nama people and the marula fruit festival, emphasizing their significance to both Namibia and humanity. The Vice President pointed out the creative sector's potential to contribute to employment and economic growth, as recognized in Namibia's Sixth National Development Plan.

Witbooi urged investment in young people, acknowledging their roles as musicians, artists, designers, filmmakers, writers, performers, craftspeople, digital creators, and entrepreneurs. Hardap Governor Riaan McNab echoed the sentiment, noting the festival's role in enabling artists and young creatives to discover their talents and contribute to the local economy.

Director of Arts M'Kariko Amagulu added that arts and culture provide opportunities for skills development, entrepreneurship, and sustainable livelihoods while helping communities to remember, communicate, and celebrate. Witbooi encouraged artists to create and tell authentic Namibian stories and called on the private sector and tourism industry to support creative enterprises before officially opening the festival.