The communities last week celebrated, together with their traditional Chief Vita Tom, the 90th anniversary of the return of the Vita Royal House from Angola.

Herero and Ovahimba people fled German colonial troops in the aftermath of the Herero uprising over a century ago in 1904 and crossed into Angola.

German Ambassador Arne Freiherr von Kittlitz und Ottendorf was invited to the commemoration, which took place near Okanguati.

The equipment consists of ten tents of different sizes for social gatherings, a public address system and large cooking pots.

"The intended use of the donation is for the communities during traditional and other celebrations," the German Ambassador said.

"It can also be rented out so that the rental fees earned can be ploughed back into the community funds."

The donation for the communities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Vita Tom Traditional Authority was channelled via the Embassy's micro-project programme.

The Vita clan and many members of the community crossed the Kunene River into southern Angola in the 1880s together with the Dorslandtrekkers, a group of Afrikaners who settled near Humpata and Neves in Angola, according to the Namibia Chronology of the late Dr Klaus Dierks.

The grandfather of the present Chief Vita Tom was renowned as a strong traditional leader of his time.

Born in 1863 at Otjimbingwe near Karibib, he was related to the Ovaherero Chiefs Wilhelm Zeraua and Manasse Tjiseseta of Omaruru.

His father was Vita Bechuana, who hailed from a Herero community in Botswana.

Chief Vita Tom and his father Vita Bechuana remained in southern Angola with their clans during the Herero uprising between 1904 and 1908.

They took in many Herero refugees from the erstwhile German South West Africa, who fled German military persecution.

Chief Vita Tom fought on the side of the Portuguese colonial army against the German military in 1914 at Naulila, a few kilometres into Angola.

In 1915, Vita Tom also fought with the Portuguese against the famous Oukwanyama King Mandume ya Ndemufayo.

A year later, in 1916, Vita Tom started to move back to Namibia with his family and cattle, living along the Hoarusib River and also having a residence at Otjiyandjasemo in the vicinity of Okanguati.

Interestingly enough, Chief Vita Tom died near Okahao in the Ongandjera tribal area on June 22 1937.

His immediate successor was Chief Moses Ndjai from Okorosave.

In the meantime, his grandson, also called Vita Tom, is the present Chief of the Vita Tom Royal House.

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