A GROUP of Damara traditional leaders yesterday said they would boycott this weekend’s annual Damara Gaob Festival.
The Damara Traditional Chiefs’ Council also called on their subjects not to attend the festival. At the core of the dispute, according to the chiefs, is Damara King Justus //Garoëb’s refusal to apologise for opposing the Government’s decision to recognise them.Chiefs Immanuel /Gaseb, Josephat Gawa-!Nab, Josef Max Haraseb, Stephanus Gariseb, Betuel Haraseb, Elias Thaniseb and Petrus Ganuseb, together with Senior Traditional Councillor Albert //Hamaseb, issued the statement in which they distanced themselves from the Gaob Festival.They said they wrote a letter to //Garoëb this week to explain why he opposed the Government’s decision to recognise them.Only once they have his answer, will they support the activities of the Damara King’s Council headed by the United Democratic Front leader.The chiefs said the festival was scheduled for Okombahe but /Gaseb, under whose jurisdiction the area was, had not been consulted by the organisers.”It is the Council’s view that any explicit or implicit participation of the Council in the said festival will give the impression that the Council is in agreement with the objectives of the festival, whereas in reality the Council is in the dark as far as the said objectives are concerned,” the statement said.They vowed not to mobilise their subjects to participate in the festival unless //Garoëb clarifies and responds to their concerns.The festival is aimed at promoting unity among the Damaras but deep-rooted political differences among traditional leaders are said to have divided the King’s Council and the Chiefs’ Council.Namibia’s Traditional Authorities Act only recognises the Chiefs’ Council and replaced the King’s Council, which was accepted within the framework of Damara Customary Law.Earlier, the chief organiser of the festival, Eliphas //Khoaseb, informed The Namibian that the division did not lie so much between the leaders of the KC and the CC, but rather amongst the followers and subordinates, which he said, were the “sowers of confusion” among the Damara people.While the festival committee is promoting the Gaob festival, there is a counter-move to disrupt the festival, according to //Khoaseb.At the core of the dispute, according to the chiefs, is Damara King Justus //Garoëb’s refusal to apologise for opposing the Government’s decision to recognise them.Chiefs Immanuel /Gaseb, Josephat Gawa-!Nab, Josef Max Haraseb, Stephanus Gariseb, Betuel Haraseb, Elias Thaniseb and Petrus Ganuseb, together with Senior Traditional Councillor Albert //Hamaseb, issued the statement in which they distanced themselves from the Gaob Festival.They said they wrote a letter to //Garoëb this week to explain why he opposed the Government’s decision to recognise them.Only once they have his answer, will they support the activities of the Damara King’s Council headed by the United Democratic Front leader.The chiefs said the festival was scheduled for Okombahe but /Gaseb, under whose jurisdiction the area was, had not been consulted by the organisers.”It is the Council’s view that any explicit or implicit participation of the Council in the said festival will give the impression that the Council is in agreement with the objectives of the festival, whereas in reality the Council is in the dark as far as the said objectives are concerned,” the statement said.They vowed not to mobilise their subjects to participate in the festival unless //Garoëb clarifies and responds to their concerns.The festival is aimed at promoting unity among the Damaras but deep-rooted political differences among traditional leaders are said to have divided the King’s Council and the Chiefs’ Council.Namibia’s Traditional Authorities Act only recognises the Chiefs’ Council and replaced the King’s Council, which was accepted within the framework of Damara Customary Law.Earlier, the chief organiser of the festival, Eliphas //Khoaseb, informed The Namibian that the division did not lie so much between the leaders of the KC and the CC, but rather amongst the followers and subordinates, which he said, were the “sowers of confusion” among the Damara people.While the festival committee is promoting the Gaob festival, there is a counter-move to disrupt the festival, according to //Khoaseb.
