The announcement, made by Okakarara Senior Chief John Tjikuua, followed a meeting of more than 500 Herero traditional leaders at Opuwo over the weekend, Tjikuua said.

He said it was felt that Riruako was using the political party, the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) which he heads, to divide the Herero people.

In September 2003, Riruako withdrew Nudo from the DTA alliance, and the party was subsequently gazetted as an independent political party in December that year.

"From that day," Tjikuua said, "Chief Riruako forfeited his position of chieftainship.

A minority of some traditional leaders accepted his new role while the majority refused to support this dual role of being traditional and political leader."

He said Riruako had over the past few months started to marginalise those chiefs who did not support his new role, and replaced them with Nudo followers.

Tjikuua said the decision taken by the rejected traditional leaders and their communities to formally sever their links with Riruako came after long deliberation.

Tjikuua said himself and Chief Paulus Tjavara were appointed "unanimously as the custodians" of the affected communities' interests and aspirations.

At the time of the meeting, Riruako had not been informed of the decision, although Tjikuua said that he would be in due course.

Speaking to The Namibian after the meeting, Riruako said that he was in fact aware of the conference and the decisions made there, but he did not accept their decisions as valid.

"I'm not at all worried.

They don't have that right," he said.

"We don't care if he doesn't accept," an agitated Tjikuua said when asked about this possibility during the media briefing yesterday.

"We are not under his authority anymore.

He can go lead his Nudo Hereros, whatever!"

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