FLYWESTAIR DESTINATIONS

Time out in Ondangwa

With its strategic location at the crossroad to Oshikango, the gateway to Angola, and Oshakati and Ruacana further afield it comes as no surprise that Ondangwa is a bustling town. On any day of the week (except Sunday) the town’s resident population swells to nearly double, as people from the surrounding villages do their shopping there.

Ondangwa and its immediate surroundings have long been the seat of Ndonga kings. But it is a relatively young town with a curious mix of shopping malls and other modern buildings and an array of informal businesses lining the streets that give it a truly African atmosphere.

If you have time on your hands in Ondangwa, here are a few ideas of what there is to do and see.

Feeling a bit hungry? Forget about hotel food, head to the Ondjodjo Open Market and let your senses guide you to the area where kapana is being cooked over sizzling hot coals while you wait. This is truly Namibian street food, named after the kapana spice, a mixture of spices, salt and chillies. Buy some salsa from one of the nearby vendors to accompany your kapana meal. The salsa is made from finely chopped tomatoes, onions, chillies, vinegar and oil.

Open markets play an important role in the informal economy of the north and many traders come from nearby villages to sell a variety of goods. Take time to look at the wide selection of indigenous dried fruits and leafy vegetables: nuts from the Makalani palm, eembe berries from the Jackalberry tree and ekaka – flat round cakes made from boiled and dried wild spinach. And if you have a very adventurous palate you might even want to try some dried mopane worms.

For sundowners head to one of the many cuca shops, the local equivalent of the South African shebeen, and quench your thirst with a Namibian beer – brewed in accordance with the age-old Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law) issued by the Duke of Bavaria in 1516. The innovative, entertaining and sometimes intriguing names of these bars are unlikely to escape your attention. The name cuca shop is derived from a Portuguese beer that was traded from Angola in years gone by.

If you are interested in history, drive over to the historic Finnish mission station at Olukonda. It was the second station established by the Finnish Mission Society and dates back to 1871. The mission complex consisting of the missionary’s house, the church and a cemetery is intimately associated with the most prominent and influential Finnish missionary, Reverend Martti Rautanen, who was locally known as Nakambale. It was declared a national monument in 1992.

Displays in the mission house, the oldest dwelling in northern Namibia, include photographs and maps depicting the history and development of the Finnish Mission Society in Owambo. Also on display are household implements, ornaments worn by women, traditional weapons and an assortment of other items.

Rautanen, his wife Frieda and five of his children, several Ondonga kings, members of the royal family and prominent parishioners were buried in the adjoining cemetery.

A guided tour through the traditional homestead next to the mission complex provides a fascinating insight into its complex structure and the way of life of the Aandonga – a people who are part of the Ondonga community.

To get to Olukonda take the B1 towards Oshivelo until you reach the signposted turnoff onto the D3629. From there drive another 5,3 km on the D3629, then turn left onto a gravel road immediately before the ELCIN Olukonda Church and continue for a few hundred metres to the mission complex.

Ondangwa and the surroundings have been the seat of several kings of the Aandonga – one of eight communities of the Aawambo. On your way to Olukonda you will pass the former palace of the 18 th king of the Ondonga, King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, who passed away in March 2019. His palace can be seen a few kilometres after turning onto the D3629, but it is rather inconspicuous. The palace of his successor, King Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, is situated just a few kilometres south of Ondangwa.

With more time on your hands you can take a leisurely drive to Oshakati, the administrative centre of the Oshana Region and the business hub of the north. Visit the largest open market (locally known as omatala) in the north; its location is south of the Game Shopping Centre.

TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS

• The Aawambo (‘people of Owambo’) are friendly, welcoming and accommodating. But as anywhere else it is advisable to take sensible precautions to prevent being a victim of opportunistic crime.

• It is common courtesy to ask permission from street vendors and vendors in open markets before taking photographs.

• When driving, sit back and relax, drive slowly and be prepared to take quick evasive action as local driving tends to be erratic.

by Willie Olivier