OvTA affairs with the president ‘are confidential’

The spokesperson and acting chief of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority (OvTA), Kumomundu Gerson Katjirua, said during a visit to State House that a letter they delivered to the president was private until told otherwise by Ovambanderu chief.

The leadership of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority paid a visit to President Hage Geingob to deliver a letter highlighting the Ovaherero community's concerns and to further discuss these concerns in the presence of the president and his delegation.

When asked to highlight some of the key issues in the letter, Katjirua said that he first had to reconvene with their chief, Eben Munjuku Nguvauva.

"We see it as the responsibility of the authority to pay regular visits to the president and to share with him the concerns that are raised by the community we serve in.

“What is contained in the letter is a mixture of concerns by the community and issues that the state would have to pay attention to for us to develop our community," he said.

Issue of succession

Recently, the head of state admonished traditional authorities to follow traditional customs during the choosing of a traditional leader.

When asked if the letter contained any grievances around the issue of succession, Katjirua said the issue is not even highlighted as it was a thing of the past.

"The issue of succession is dead and buried. We have announced the chief designate, Eben Nguvauva.

“It is not an issue, although mentioned in the letter, this was just to announce the chief's position," he said.

Can't be left out

The matters of land insecurity and genocide remained a topic of discussion and were raised by the authority.

The authority said it was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and grateful to have had the opportunity to engage in discussions of this nature with the president.

"When you are given an opportunity, you are happy because that is the only time you can iron out and express disagreements. We now know that the concerns of the community are at the highest table of the state," he said.

No deadlines have been given to the head of state to act on the concerns mentioned in the letter, but the authority hopes to get a prompt response.

Division not encouraged

Highlighting recent divisions in the authority, the acting chief mentioned that they do not encourage it and never have.

"We never encouraged any division. Traditional set-ups that we know, have changed. A brand-new culture has to be created by marrying how we did things, with the way things are being done now," he said.