The Ombalantu Traditional Authority has rejected perceptions that Olufuko is a ceremony that promotes early marriage and causing girls to abandon their education.
Ombalantu spokesperson Isdor Kanelombe says the ceremony is an important cultural practice and criticism comes from people who do not understand their culture.
“There are no statistics proving girls are dropping out. Olufuko registered 121 girls, but 26 went to holiday classes,” he told The Namibian yesterday.
Kanelombe’s comments come amid concerns from human rights activists over how the cultural practice is conducted and its impact on young girls.
He said Olufuko should not be judged by people from other communities who may not understand its purpose.
The Ombalantu community has its own way of conducting traditional rites, while other Ovambo traditional authorities have theirs too, he said.
“Some cultures have their own styles of doing the traditional ritual. But the Ombalantu has been at the centre of Olufuko and we are still practising what started long ago in history,” he said.
Kanelombe said Olufuko was traditionally a requirement for young women on the brink of marriage, teaching them about relationships, communication, public conduct and family responsibilities.
“They are taught how to be with a man, how to dress in front of people, talk to different people or groups and how to handle a family,” he said.
He said boys traditionally underwent a similar process, known as ‘Etanda’.
DENYING OWN CULTURES
Kanelombe said some people are still denying their cultures in an independent Namibia. He said getting married in a church is one way of doing so.
“Getting married at church is a foreign practice. We want to get married at church, but do not want to follow our traditions. In the past, people got married traditionally,” he said.
He said families did not marry their daughters off to families they did not know.
“Now, women are getting married to men they’ve just met. Your family doesn’t know anything about that man,” he said.
Sam Nujoma Foundation chairperson Nahas Angula says some Namibians are still promoting foreign cultures, “shamelessly” denying their own.
He urges nations to celebrate their cultures without fear.
“A nation without a culture is like a tree without roots,” he says.
Angula says cultural events such as Olufuko help people understand their history, cultural values and tradition, and to restore the cultural heritage that was removed during the colonial period.
SCHOOL FIRST
Angula urges girls participating in Olufuko to remain focused on their education.
He says founding president Sam Nujoma was always mindful of girls’ education and had continuously encouraged them to become leaders in their chosen fields.
“Education is the key to knowledge and influence. I urge all initiates taking part in the current and future Olufuko festivals to take their education seriously. Marriage will come after school,” he says.
Chief Oswin Mukulu of the Ombalantu similarly urges young women not to view Olufuko as the final step towards marriage, saying the ceremony is intended to prepare them for adulthood and preserve cultural knowledge.
A total of 95 girls are participating in this year’s Olufuko festival, including 53 Ombalantu participants, eight Ombadja participants, and 27 Uukolonkadhi girls.
‘RESPECT DIGNITY’
Minister of education, innovation, youth, sport, arts and culture Sanet Steenkamp says Namibia should preserve its traditions while ensuring cultural practices respect human dignity, safety and well-being.
“Culture is alive and societies evolve. It is important that we preserve it. It strengthens identity, belonging and community while ensuring our practices uphold human dignity, safety, well-being and the values of our Constitution,” she says.
She says Olufuko has grown since its revival in 2012, when it started with 17 girls, to attracting close to 100 women today.
The festival also attracted 165 exhibitors, which Steenkamp says shows the festival has grown beyond a cultural ceremony into a platform for heritage, enterprise, tourism, education and opportunity.
The minister says Namibia has a right to preserve its cultural identity while modernising, but traditions must continue to evolve in ways that protect people’s rights.
“Our diversity is therefore not something to fear, erase or be apologetic about. It is part of the richness of the nation,” she says.
Nigeria’s Plateau state executive governor Caleb Mutfwang at the festival on Friday said cultural diversity can be a source of unity and strength.
He said Plateau state has about 56 ethnic groups of which the different cultures have helped unite people.
“Strength is in diversity. What has kept us together is what we are celebrating here. Today we are here to share this culture. We are super proud of what we represent,” Mutfwang said.
‘RAPE, PREGNANCY’
Human rights activist Rosa Namises, however, raises concerns about the way Olufuko is currently practised.
She says she does not oppose girls participating in cultural practices, but they should be conducted in a safe manner that respects their rights and dignity.
She says some girls who have previously participated in the festival have fallen pregnant and that some have been raped after being selected by older men during the ceremony.
“For me, that was very wrong. It is paving the way for men to continue abusing young girls. It is rightfully about human rights,” Namises says.
She calls for traditional leaders, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, the education ministry and the president to review the practice and introduce sex education, as well as lessons on self-empowerment, independence and bodily autonomy.
Namises says the traditional practice is supposedly a rite of passage for girls entering womanhood, involving teachings about menstruation, household skills and sexuality, with the process conducted by women away from men.
Human rights activist Berrie Holtzhausen says although he does not know what Olufuko is, the rights and dignity of young girls and women should always be protected.
He says some cultures in Namibia do not recognise women’s rights.
“If a girl is raped, they compensate the father. It is so wrong. What about her and her dignity?” he asks.
However, he says it is important that young women and boys receive cultural training about what to expect in life when they are adults.
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