_: OKAHAO: President Hifikepunye Pohamba says King Jafet Malenga Munkundi of the Ongandjera Traditional Authority, who passed away in the Windhoek Central Hospital on 26 July, has left a void in his immediate family.

Speaking during Munkundi’s funeral service at Okahao in the Omusati Region yesterday, Pohamba stated that the death of the 83-year-old King of Ongandjera has also left a void in his community, the Omusati Region and the Council of Traditional Leaders (CTL) in Namibia, of which he was an active member.

The Head of State told the hundreds of mourners who turned up for the funeral, that Munkundi will also be missed for his active contributions to the work of the CTL, which has a responsibility to advise the country’s president on matters related to the utilisation of communal land.

According to Pohamba, traditional leaders serve as important pillars in the communities,in addition to the duties assigned to them under the Traditional Authorities Act, they have, since time immemorial, provided leadership to communities and serve as custodians of traditional values and cultural norms.