Africa-Press – Namibia. After a six-year absence, patrons are expected to flock to the royal establishment headquarters of the Masubia, Bukalo, to celebrate the Masubia Cultural Festival.
They will also meet their new Masubia Chief, Gilbert Muhongo Mutwa Moraliswani III.
Should all systems go, the event is earmarked for Saturday, 26 July 2025.
The festival was last celebrated in July 2019 following the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020 and subsequently the passing of late Masubia Chief, Kisco Maiba Liswani III, who himself succumbed to Covid-19 in July 2021.
The Masubia people have been embroiled in a chieftainship brawl, resulting in the halting of all celebratory events that could not take place without a sitting chief.
Urban and Rural Development Minister, James Sankwasa, in April this year granted approval for the designation of Chief Mutwa Moraliswani III amid growing concerns from the divided royal houses of Bukalo, Ngoma, Kasika and Mahundu on who should ascend to the highest throne of the Masubia.
Retired former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, Alfred Ilukena, who is the chairperson of the organising committee, confirmed the ongoing preparations of the event that has also seen a widely circulated advertorial on social media platforms this week.
“God willing, we should be able to celebrate the Masubia Cultural Festival this year. As I speak to you, invitations have been sent to all our traditional authorities in the Zambezi Region. We have also extended invitations across Mwandi in Zambia as well as in Botswana,” said Ilukena telephonically.
Ilukena said the event will continue as an annual event from now onwards, as it has been in the past years, to honour cultural heritage and heroes while displaying cultural richness and diversity with activities designed to entertain and educate attendees.
“People should be able to come and see their new chief. What we had at the beginning of June was a quiet celebration of coronation without a lot of people, where sacred rituals and instruments of chieftainship were handed over,” said the retired administrator.
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