Staff Reporter
THE omagongo (marula wine) season is upon us. It starts with the ripening of the first marula fruits in early February and lasts until May, reaching its zenith with the hosting of the Omagongo Annual Cultural Festival, on a rotational basis, by the eight traditional authorities of Ovawambo: Ombadja, Ombalantu, Ondonga, Ongandjera, Oukwanyama, Uukolonkadhi, Uukwaluudhi, and Uukwambi.
The two traditional authorities chosen to separately host this year’s festival — Uukwambi and Uukwaluudhi — are already hard at work to ensure the success of the prestigious cultural event.
Photos: UNESCO.
According to Neumbo Namambo of the Uukwambi Traditional Authority, the festival will take place in May and will be preceded by a gala dinner. Preparations include collecting the ripened fruits, which are then squeezed using the tip of a cattle’s horn. The resultant sap is placed in clay pots for fermentation, which lasts between two and seven days.
Omagongo — a slightly alcoholic drink — holds cultural significance, so much so that during the omagongo season traditional authorities cease their activities, and the carrying of any kind of weapon is strictly prohibited.
The unified annual festival was introduced on the recommendation of Founding President Sam Nujoma in 2001 and was initially limited to the eight traditional communities of Aawambo, but has gradually morphed into a national event attended by people from all corners of the country and, in 2015, was listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Omagongo (also spelled omaongo) was ordinarily consumed by adults at home, shared with neighbours and even strangers free of charge, but has now also become a commercial commodity, sold in the informal market at between N$10 and N$15 per litre.
