The Lokgwabe community launches Nama

There is a general fear among residents that the language is steadily losing ground to dominant languages. The project answers government’s call to preservation and broadcasting of indigenous languages through the establishment of community radio stations across the country. For the people of Lokgwabe, the station is more than a communication platform, it is a cultural lifeline intended to restore pride in their identity and provide a voice for a community that has long felt marginalised in mainstream discourse.

Nama Development Trust chairperson, Nicholas Cooper, told BOPA that the online station was funded through the Cultural Survival Fund, an international non-governmental organisation based in the United States with a regional office in Cape Town, South Africa. The fund had invited proposals for a 10-month indigenous radio establishment programme, for which the trust successfully applied. Now in its second month of operation, the station has already hosted a three-day intensive training workshop, facilitated by Kaisames Radio Station of Namibia.

The indigenous broadcaster was engaged to equip the project team with essential skills in broadcasting, ethical journalism and content production. “The initial plan was to train 10 presenters, but the project scope provided for four presenters, a coordinator and a project officer who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the station,” said Cooper. He noted that the primary objective of the radio station was to create a platform through which the Nama people could discuss issues affecting them in their own language and from their own perspective.

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“Indigenous communities across the world often remain unheard because they are minorities and most public discourse is dominated by majority groups. This radio station is meant to give us a voice and ensure that our concerns reach both our people and policy makers,” he said. Although the station prioritises Nama, about 30 per cent of its programming is broadcast in Shekgalagari, Setswana and English, to accommodate the broader community and encourage inclusivity.

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