OKAHANDJA: Preparations are in full swing for the annual Red Flag Commemoration planned by the faction under OvaHerero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako here this weekend.

Hundreds of OvaHerero and OvaMbanderu people from all walks of life are set to converge upon Okahandja for the Red Flag Commemoration, where they honour their dead chiefs and fallen heroes/heroines.

Advisor to the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, Dr Hoze Riruako, told Nampa in a telephonic interview today that this year participants will not go around the wall at the cemetery as is normally done, but will instead stop in front of the wall and do the rituals there, before proceeding to the tombstones.

Riruako said the commemoration will kick off with a beauty pageant and a live music show this evening, and entertainment will continue tomorrow, with a formal ceremony scheduled for later that afternoon.

The main event is slated for Sunday, when members of the group will pay tribute to their ancestors.

A group of 13 engineers and quantity surveyors from Zimbabwe paid a courtesy call on President Hifikepunye Pohamba at State House yesterday.

This team of experts arrived here earlier this month on request by the Namibian Government, particularly the Ministry of Works and Transport.

Introducing the team of experts to Pohamba, Zimbabwean Ambassador to Namibia Chipo Zindoga said this was the first group of experts to arrive and another group of 17 Zimbabwean experts will arrive here on 10 September this year.

She said that their coming to Namibia is in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Harare in May 2012.

On his part, the Namibian Head of State said that although Namibia established the University of Namibia (Unam) and started producing graduates, Namibia still lags behind in terms of skills, noting that his government has the will to bring about development to this country, but Namibia does not have the skills.