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Festival to ­commemorate political ­legend

• 1 Year Ago22 September 2022 - 2022-09-22 12:02:00

The Erongo Regional Youth Forum recently proposed a remembrance festival to honour the life and legacy of the late Theo-Ben Gurirab, a politician who served in various senior positions in the Namibian government.

He served as the second prime minister of Namibia from 28 August 2002 to 20 March 2005. He died in Windhoek on 14 July 2018.

The event is expected to take place in Usakos from 28 to 30 October.

It will start with a formal event on 31 September with a public lecture on Gurirab’s legacy. The second day will see participants take part in the Run & Walk of up to 20 km.

According to the chairperson of the initiative, Kleopas Johannes, anyone can participate by making small donations of as little as N$20 to take part. Johannes explained that the Gurirab Remembrance Run & Walk is an initiative by the Erongo Regional Youth Forum to celebrate and commemorate the life and legacy of the late political figure.

“The objectives of the initiative are to create a culture of acknowledging the work and sacrifices of individuals in the community and create awareness among the youth to appreciate those that paved the way for peace, justice, and freedom. All the proceeds will go towards the funding of youth projects in the region, and we would like to invite everyone to come on board as partners or a sponsor to make this initiative a success,” Johannes said.

He added that representatives of international development partners, regional and state regulatory bodies, corporate organisations, training institutes, start-ups as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises will attend the festival.

The festival will include a Theo-Ben Gurirab public lecture series in collaboration with the ministry of international relations, a Usakos museum historical exhibition, choir performances, hybrid participation, five plenary sessions, presentations and breakout sessions, sponsored workshops, and networking opportunities.