OPUWO: The Traditional Leaders of the Otjikaoko Traditional Authority and Vita Royal House are against Chief Kuaima Riruako’s planned traditional meetings in the Kunene Region.
The Chairperson of the Otjikaoko Trditional Authority, Hannie Muundjua who was speaking on behalf of both traditional authorities spoke to Nampa on Saturday.
“Chief, Riruako has announced to hold a traditional meeting of his traditional authority in the Kunene region on Sunday without communicating it with other traditional leaders in this region for their concern,” said Muundjua.
Chief, Riruako is the traditional leader of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority of Aminius in the Omaheke region.
According to Muundjua, meetings of traditional chiefs from other areas of jurisdictions should be communicated to the chiefs of that area of jurisdiction in which the meeting is to be held, which was not done.
Approached for commend Heinz Maundu the Chief Organizer of the meeting to be held at Otuvero village by the Ovaherero Traditonal Authority, told Nampa that the meeting will continue on Sunday.
Maundu said that Chief Riruako is a paramount Chief of Hereros in Namibia and did not needed to inform any leaders of his meeting with his subjects in Namibia.
“The meeting will be held in the area of David Kavari, a leader of Otuvero under the traditional leadership of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority,” noted Maundu.
Maundu question the area of jurisdiction claimed by both traditional leaders of Otjikaoko and Vita Royal House that their area were not clearly demarcated and that there was no laws or policy in the Namibian constitution that states any prevention of meetings due to areas of jurisdictions.
“The Ovaherero Traditional Authority is having subjects in the Kunene region and one of their leaders Kavari is having an area of jurisdiction that is not under the Otjikaoko Traditional Authority or Vita Royal house. Why would we inform them of our meetings,” questioned Maundu.
He added that the meeting was very well announced through the radio service of Otjiherero and if the two traditional authorities concern had complains they were supposed to have contacted them and stated the problem they have with the meeting.
The Otjikaoko Traditional Authority and the Vita Royal House leadership feel that the Ovaherero Traditional Authority is undermining other independent traditional authorities and such behaviors can cause chaos and tensions between communities under these authorities.
The meeting is scheduled to sit for three days from 29 -31 July this year.
(edited)OPUWO, 30 JUL (NAMPA) – Traditional leaders in the Kunene Region say they are not happy that Chief Kuaima Riruako is planning to hold a meeting of his traditional authority in an area of the Kunene Region which falls under their jurisdiction.
Hannie Muundjua, the Chairperson of the Otjikaoko Traditional Authority who was also speaking on behalf of the Vita Royal House, expressed this concern in an interview with Nampa on Saturday.
He said Chief Riruako is the traditional leader of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority which is based at Aminuis in the Omaheke Region, and he should not be organising meetings in the Kunene Region.
“Chief Riruako has announced that he will hold a meeting for his traditional authority in the Kunene Region as from Tuesday. He did this without communicating with other traditional leaders in the region,” he said.
Muundjua explained that plans for meetings by traditional chiefs from other areas of jurisdiction should be communicated to the chiefs that are responsible for the areas where the meetings are to be held, which was not done in this particular case.
He said the leaderships of the two traditional authorities feel that the Ovaherero Traditional Authority is undermining other independent traditional authorities, and they argue that such behaviour can cause tension between communities.
Approached for comment, the chief organiser of the meeting which is to be held at Otuvero village in the Kunene Region, Heinz Maundu, told Nampa on Monday that the meeting will go ahead as scheduled on Tuesday.
Maundu confirmed that the meeting, which is being called a “senate” of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, will bring subjects of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority from all over the country to the Kunene Region.
He further stated that Chief Riruako is the Paramount Chief of all Ovaherero people in Namibia and “does not need to inform any leaders of his meetings with his subjects”.
“The meeting will be held in the area of David Kavari, a leader at Otuvero village who is under the traditional leadership of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority,” he noted.
Maundu questioned the areas of jurisdiction claimed by the Otjikaoko and Vita Royal House traditional leaders, saying their areas are not clearly demarcated and that there “are no laws or policies in the Namibian Constitution” that state that meetings can be prevented from taking place because it will take place in a certain area.
“The Ovaherero Traditional Authority has subjects in the Kunene Region and one of its leaders, Kavari, has an area of jurisdiction which does not fall under the Otjikaoko Traditional Authority or Vita Royal house. Why should we inform them of our meetings?” Maundu wanted to know.
He also noted that the meeting was “very well announced” on the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)’s Otjiherero Radio Service, and said if the two traditional authorities had complaints, they were supposed to have contacted the Ovaherero Traditional Authority in this regard.
Maundu said that as long as no official complaints are reported to them, the meeting will go ahead as people had already started arriving at the venue from Sunday.
The meeting is scheduled to take place from 31 July to 02 August and more than 150 traditional leaders are expected to attend.