Africa-Press – Namibia. The Ovahimba community of the Kunene region has for years attracted tourists with their closely-knit life.
As one of the last remaining nomads, and with their unique preservation of culture, the Ovahimba continue to be a marvel the world over.
On a typical day, hundreds of tourists flock to these villages to experience the secluded lives of one of the world’s most cultured ethnic groups.
Sadly, the excitement of the visits by the foreigners does little to compensate for the endless performance the Ovahimba put up for the visitors.
At least, this is how the Ovahimba feel.
Many communities around Opuwo have expressed concern and anger over what they termed to be meagre payments for their performances and allowing strangers into their private holdings.
They said they receive small food hampers in exchange for being photographed by tourists and performing cultural dances.
For a cultural performance that lasts up to half an hour, they only earn N$2 per person.
When New Era visited Ohungumure village – located some 20 kilometres outside Opuwo – on Saturday, about 70 villagers – most of them children, youth and adults – were seated silently around a single food hamper.
The contents were a five-kilogramme (kg) bag of maize meal, 500 grammes (g) of sugar, 500g of macaroni, a 500 millilitre bottle of cooking oil, a small sachet of tea bags, two drink-o-pops and a 50g packet of spice.
The villagers said this small parcel is meant to be shared among everyone after allowing tourists to take group photos and record them dancing.
It has been somewhat of an unwritten arrangement in the Opuwo Urban Constituency for local Ovahimba to earn some nominal amounts of money or food through performing for visitors.
However, this long-standing arrangement seems to be showing cracks.
The residents said the food hampers were to be shared among all 70 individuals – children, youth and elders – after they were photographed and asked to perform traditional dances for tourists visiting the area under the coordination of the Opuwo Country Lodge.
Traditional councillor Kambindja Mbinge expressed frustration over this arrangement.
“This has been happening for years,” he said.
“When the tourists come, they tell our women to pose in all kinds of ways, sometimes even without covering their chests. Then they give us a single 5kg bag to share. The guards tell us to use a spoon to divide it. How do you feed 70 people like that?” he asked.
Mbinge said villagers receive N$2 per person to perform dances, while their images are taken freely and likely sold or shared globally.
Shocked
Regional councillor Ngunaihe Ueutjerevi, who was present during New Era’s visit, expressed surprise and concern.
“I was not aware this was happening,” he said.
“This is unacceptable. I will follow up immediately to find a solution,” he added.
He later accompanied the New Era team to the Opuwo Country Lodge, where the tourists had been seen arriving in the same car that had visited the village.
There, the councillor confronted lodge manager Franz Quinn.
Lodge manager
Initially defensive, Quinn said the lodge operates a tourism business, not a food charity.
“Why must I support the whole village?” he asked.
“We go to them two, three, sometimes five times a week. Sometimes we give one hamper, sometimes more. It depends on how many guests we have,” he said.
He insisted that the number of hampers varies based on the volume of visitors.
“It’s not always 5kg. Sometimes we send more. But I didn’t know they were complaining,” Quinn added.
When asked how villagers are expected to divide a 5kg parcel among 70 people, he was agitated.
“I can’t charge guests N$2 000 just so I can give bigger hampers. Then they’ll stop coming to us and go straight to Etosha. This region has no other attraction – just the Himba people. [There are] no shops, no craft centres – nothing,” he said.
Quinn added: “I try to make something work, and now I’m being attacked? That’s unbelievable”.
Councillor Ueutjerevi responded calmly, “You’re not being attacked. You were not aware. Now we’re asking you to help fix it”.
Mbinge said the communities are not asking for handouts but for respect and fairness.
“They just want negotiations,” he said.
“Sometimes, they don’t sell anything to tourists. They look forward to the food parcels. But when they come and see this – 5kg for everyone – it’s disheartening. Even if it’s a 20kg bag, it would be better,” he added.
After further dialogue, Quinn softened his stance.
“I understand better now,” he said.
“I will talk to our guides. If villagers don’t want to be photographed without fair compensation, we must inform the guests. Maybe the guests can give N$100 or N$200 for group photos. But that can’t be my responsibility alone – we only provide transport and guides,” he stated.
Quinn acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns around cultural performance and dignity.
“I now see that food is one issue, but being photographed and dancing for so little – that’s another. I’ll speak to the guides and get proper feedback from the villagers. Maybe we can start by increasing the hampers to 10kg or making them more nutritious,” he said.
When told that some villagers are asked to perform for just N$2, Quinn expressed doubt.
“Are you sure it’s my guests? Couldn’t it be another lodge? But if it’s true, I agree it’s a problem,” he remarked.
Tourism
Quinn acknowledged the lack of facilities or designated tourism zones in Opuwo.
“This town has nothing else for tourism. The Himba communities are the main attraction, but there’s no structure to protect them or ensure they benefit fairly,” he said.
The councillor and lodge manager agreed to continue the conversation.
Both parties indicated interest in working toward a more respectful and balanced relationship between the tourism sector and the local Himba communities.
Quinn concluded: “I’ll look at what we can do. We have budgets set for the year, but maybe we can improve food parcels and make sure everyone is treated with dignity”.
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