Court threats over Katjiua chieftaincy
The race to succeed the late paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro has resulted in threats to approach the High Court in order to challenge appointments made at Onderombapa this past weekend.
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
A group of Ovaherero traditional chiefs and leaders are gearing up to approach the High Court to demand that the announcement of Professor Mutjinde Katjiua as paramount chief (PC)-designate be declared null and void.
Insiders told Namibian Sun that there is great unhappiness over last weekend’s meeting at Aminius where Katjiua was appointed as the PC-designate and Reverend Boas Tjingaete as acting PC with all substantive executive powers and prerogatives until Katjiua assumes office.
Katjiua, the right-hand man of the late Ombara Otjitambi Advocate Vekuii Rukoro, was announced as successor at Onderombapa in the Aminuis district over the weekend, six months after he was made chair of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) transitional committee.
The OTA and Red Flag movement insiders disputed claims that all the traditional chiefs were present at this indaba, saying it was a clandestine process aimed to ‘force’ Katjiua upon the Ovaherero people.
OTA acting secretary-general Nandiuasora Mazeingo dismissed the allegations, saying “the people who were supposed to be there were there”.
Asked about the looming High Court dispute, Mazeingo said Namibia is a democracy and people are free to do what they must.
“Please have your facts on the table; we do not respond to rumours. You have insinuations and innuendos. We are not interested to deal with people who are interested in sowing disunity where there is none,” he said.
OTA chairperson Vipuira Kapuuo, who is said to be spearheading this process, could not comment as he was in a meeting.
His personal assistant Percy Tjahuha also said he could not take questions as he too was busy.
Out of touch
Meanwhile, an OTA insider said Katjiua is being rejected largely because he is deemed out of touch with the Ovaherero traditions and customs, and has no relationship with the grassroot communities.
“He is not the right person for the job and is not at all a people’s person. He does not have the cultural know-how to guide and lead a community like the Ovaherero people and he has no grassroots support. It is really not good, the way he [Kapuuo] has forced him [Katjiua] onto the people,” he said.
The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) now finds itself caught in the crossfire, right in the middle of the two warring factions.
Nudo is the political umbilical cord between the Ovaherero people and the OTA and its elected paramount chief. All previous Ovaherero paramount chiefs had connections to Nudo, including the late Chief Kuaima Riruako who was the party president and represented it in Parliament.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Nudo secretary-general Joseph Kauandenge said the situation is ‘fragile’ and the party therefore chooses to not comment on what is transpiring at this point.
“All I can say is that we call on the two groups to come together and work hand in hand for the sake of Ovaherero people. We also call on the elders to use their wisdom to help resolve this matter.
“Nudo does not have a preferred candidate. Suffice it to say that whoever emerges as the next PC must be supported by the majority of the Ovaherero people across the country in order to foster unity of purpose in the Ovaherero nation,” he said.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
A group of Ovaherero traditional chiefs and leaders are gearing up to approach the High Court to demand that the announcement of Professor Mutjinde Katjiua as paramount chief (PC)-designate be declared null and void.
Insiders told Namibian Sun that there is great unhappiness over last weekend’s meeting at Aminius where Katjiua was appointed as the PC-designate and Reverend Boas Tjingaete as acting PC with all substantive executive powers and prerogatives until Katjiua assumes office.
Katjiua, the right-hand man of the late Ombara Otjitambi Advocate Vekuii Rukoro, was announced as successor at Onderombapa in the Aminuis district over the weekend, six months after he was made chair of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) transitional committee.
The OTA and Red Flag movement insiders disputed claims that all the traditional chiefs were present at this indaba, saying it was a clandestine process aimed to ‘force’ Katjiua upon the Ovaherero people.
OTA acting secretary-general Nandiuasora Mazeingo dismissed the allegations, saying “the people who were supposed to be there were there”.
Asked about the looming High Court dispute, Mazeingo said Namibia is a democracy and people are free to do what they must.
“Please have your facts on the table; we do not respond to rumours. You have insinuations and innuendos. We are not interested to deal with people who are interested in sowing disunity where there is none,” he said.
OTA chairperson Vipuira Kapuuo, who is said to be spearheading this process, could not comment as he was in a meeting.
His personal assistant Percy Tjahuha also said he could not take questions as he too was busy.
Out of touch
Meanwhile, an OTA insider said Katjiua is being rejected largely because he is deemed out of touch with the Ovaherero traditions and customs, and has no relationship with the grassroot communities.
“He is not the right person for the job and is not at all a people’s person. He does not have the cultural know-how to guide and lead a community like the Ovaherero people and he has no grassroots support. It is really not good, the way he [Kapuuo] has forced him [Katjiua] onto the people,” he said.
The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) now finds itself caught in the crossfire, right in the middle of the two warring factions.
Nudo is the political umbilical cord between the Ovaherero people and the OTA and its elected paramount chief. All previous Ovaherero paramount chiefs had connections to Nudo, including the late Chief Kuaima Riruako who was the party president and represented it in Parliament.
When contacted for comment yesterday, Nudo secretary-general Joseph Kauandenge said the situation is ‘fragile’ and the party therefore chooses to not comment on what is transpiring at this point.
“All I can say is that we call on the two groups to come together and work hand in hand for the sake of Ovaherero people. We also call on the elders to use their wisdom to help resolve this matter.
“Nudo does not have a preferred candidate. Suffice it to say that whoever emerges as the next PC must be supported by the majority of the Ovaherero people across the country in order to foster unity of purpose in the Ovaherero nation,” he said.
[email protected]
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