Vice President Lucia Witbooi has called for stronger efforts to preserve San languages, traditional knowledge and cultural heritage, and urged the government and other stakeholders to ensure that San communities derive meaningful benefit from economic opportunities linked to their culture.
The deputy minister in the office of the vice president, Moses //Khumub, shared Witbooi's remarks at the Annual San Cultural Festival in Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa region, stating that the preservation of San heritage should be led by the communities themselves, with government providing an enabling environment for their participation in cultural and economic development.
"The division for marginalised communities within the office of the vice president provides an important platform for government to engage communities, listen to their concerns and promote greater inclusion in national development. Our approach must be based on consultation, partnership, respect and dignity," said the Vice President.
"The government cannot preserve culture on behalf of communities. Rather, our responsibility is to create an enabling environment in which communities themselves can lead and participate meaningfully in the preservation, promotion and development of their cultural heritage."
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Witbooi identified the preservation and revitalisation of San languages as a key priority, noting that language carries a community's history, identity and worldview.
"We must therefore encourage the documentation, teaching and everyday use of San languages, particularly among our young people," she said. She also called for the intergenerational transfer of indigenous knowledge, particularly that held by elders on traditional foods, medicines, the environment, stories, music and cultural practices.
According to Witbooi, technology could help preserve this knowledge if communities are meaningfully involved and their consent and rights are respected.
"Technology can also assist us in documenting and preserving this heritage, provided that such work is undertaken ethically, with the meaningful participation, consent and recognition of the communities concerned," she said.
Witbooi further linked cultural preservation to economic development, pointing to San arts and crafts, traditional foods, music, dance, cultural performances and heritage tourism as potential sources of livelihoods and entrepreneurship.
She said San cultural products should be supported in accessing national, regional and international markets while maintaining their authenticity and community ownership.
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"We must therefore support San cultural products to access national, regional and international markets while protecting their authenticity, cultural meaning and community ownership. Community-based cultural tourism can similarly enable visitors to experience San heritage while ensuring that communities derive meaningful and sustainable economic benefits," Witbooi said.
