Story by Tamuka Charakupa
YOUNG people from Mashonaland West Province and Namibia’s Kavango East Region are taking part in a sports and cultural exchange programme designed to strengthen bilateral relations and foster greater cooperation between the two countries.
Mashonaland West is hosting a 50-member delegation from Kavango East under an initiative aimed at promoting cultural understanding, friendship and people-to-people engagement through sport and cultural activities.
The programme follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2019 and renewed last year, which seeks to deepen cooperation between the two regions.
Deputy Director for Schools Sport in the Government of Namibia, Mr Irvine Ndjavera, said the exchange builds on existing international partnerships that have delivered positive results.
“We have a similar programme with the Westfalen Region in Germany, where youth exchange sports programmes are taking place, and some of our athletes have gone on to perform at higher levels. We also have players of Namibian descent playing in Zimbabwe. We are building on that relationship,” he said.
Kavango East Regional Sport Officer Mr Erastus Someno said the delegation travelled with football and netball teams to participate in the programme.
“We requested to visit Chinhoyi with our two teams, the Under-19 netball team and the Under-20 boys’ football team. Altogether, we came with 32 players,” he said.
Beyond the sporting activities, delegates are also visiting educational institutions and interacting with local communities.
One Namibian student expressed admiration for facilities at Chinhoyi Technical High School.
“We visited Chinhoyi Technical High School. Although it is a high school, when we arrived, we thought it was a university or tertiary institution because of the many projects taking place there. Beyond academics, they are empowering learners with practical skills,” the student said.
Participants from both countries said the programme is providing valuable opportunities to exchange skills, build friendships and learn about different cultures.
“Playing against different teams and with different players helps us improve our game and boosts our confidence. It has been a good experience coming here,” said one participant.
A Zimbabwean student added: “We welcome the coming of our fellow learners from Kavongo East because through these interactions, we are exchanging skills and learning new cultures.”
Deputy Director for Economic Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet in Mashonaland West, Mr Gallant Kunodziya, said the exchange is part of broader cooperation frameworks between the two regions.
“The Memorandum of Understanding has six broad areas of cooperation, including people-to-people cooperation, agriculture, capacity building, and natural resource management. Today, we are implementing the sixth pillar, which focuses on people-to-people cooperation through sport. The Kavango East Region delegation, comprising Under-19 football and netball teams, is competing against schools in Mashonaland West as well as junior teams from the Zimbabwe Football Association,” he said.
The Namibian delegation is expected to spend the next five days in Mashonaland West participating in a range of sporting and cultural activities.
The exchange programme highlights growing cooperation between Zimbabwe and Namibia and reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen regional integration through youth engagement, sport and cultural diplomacy.
