Damara festival on, organiser promises

DESPITE the division between the two Damara kings, Gaob Immanuel /Gâseb of the Damara Chiefs’ Council, and Gaob Justus Garoëb of the Damara King’s Council, the annual Damara Gaob Festival will take place at Okombahe this weekend, according to festival organiser Eliphas /Khoaseb.

Whether the event is sanctioned or not depends on the law under which it falls, be it the customary law of the Damaras or the Traditional Authorities Act of 2000. Even the Damara-Nama radio station of the NBC, which had been broadcasting the event in the past, may very likely not broadcast it this weekend because the two Damara authorities still have not come to an agreement whether the event will take place or not, The Namibian has learned.The camp of /Gâseb – the traditional leader of !Oë ≠Gân traditional authority and also the chairperson of the Damara Chiefs’ Council which is recognised by Government as the official Damara authority – say that according to the Traditional Authorities Act, no group of people or leader may hold a traditional cultural event in another leader’s traditional authority without his or her permission.The Okombahe festival stadium is in the jurisdiction of /Gâseb’s !Oë ≠Gân traditional authority, and so the organisers of the festival, the Damara King’s Council Festival Committee, chaired by /Khoaseb, must first request permission from /Gâseb.Gruzi ≠Goseb, Senior Councillor of the !Oë ≠Gân, explained this procedure over the Damara-Nama radio two weeks ago, which resulted in a protest by the Okombahe residents last week./Khoaseb however said that Garoëb had already informed /Gâseb that the festival ‘will take place’ this weekend.According to a petition handed to /Gâseb’s office, no one has the right to ‘obstruct’ the festival from taking place, and it is not a matter of one group of Damaras wanting to have a festival in another group’s territory, but rather the Damara tribe as a whole participating in a traditional annual event at a traditional venue, the Okombahe Festival Pavilion.The petition stated that even the !Oë ≠Gân community, under /Gâseb’s leadership, did not consider the festival as a ‘contravention of the law’.’To the contrary. The Damaras under the able visionary leadership of King Justus Garoëb and his King’s Council held for the past 33 years annual cultural festivals at Okombahe, which was also attended by governmental dignitaries,’ according to the petition.They were also protesting against /Gâseb’s leadership in general, and called on Local Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo to intervene and allow the community to choose its own leaders.’The establishment of the !Oe #Gan Traditional Authority was not done with proper consultation with us, the traditional community, and we are thus appealing to the Government to allow us to hold elections of traditional leaders of our choice and not to carry on with the current self-imposed and self-centred traditional leaders who are not elected by the majority,’ the petition stated.In response to this protest, ≠Goseb told The Namibian that the ‘disgruntled group’ of Damaras at Okombahe was a ‘mixture of everything with a clear agenda to promote the agenda of their political party, the UDF’, of which Garoëb is the president.According to ≠Goseb, the Damaras are divided into eight clans (!Oë ≠Gân, /Gaio Daman, Namidaman, /Khomanin, Dâuredaman, Tsoaxu Daman, ≠Ao Daman and /Gowanin) with clearly demarcated areas of jurisdiction. ‘These eight traditional authorities formed a joint structure called the Damara Traditional Chiefs’ Council of which Gaob Immanuel /Gâseb is the chairman,’ he said. ‘The Damara Chiefs’ Council organises the biennial Gaob Cornelius Goreseb festival at Okombahe for all Damaras.’≠Goseb said the !Oë ≠Gân do not claim ownership of the Okombahe stadium. ‘In fact, the !Oë ≠Gân do not want to be associated with it because it is a disgrace to have loud music, dancing, performances etc on top of the graves. The fact is that the stadium was built by the pre-independence second-tier government of the Damaras, hence it is the property of the legitimate government of the Republic of Namibia. The !Oë ≠Gân would not even accept it as a donation from Government,’ he said.’It is our obligation to ensure the graves of our parents, grandparents, forefathers and loved ones are respected, and they deserve to rest in peace.’≠Goseb said the !Oë ≠Gân took pride in the leadership of Gaob Immanuel /Gâseb and the Damara Traditional Chiefs’ council. ‘Chief Immanuel /Gâseb does not refer to himself as Gaob, as the disgruntled group claim, we the !Oë ≠Gân community call him Gaob (King). This seems to be a thorn in the eyes of Honourable Justus Garoëb and his followers who are still living in the past times. The King’s Council was there but it is no more relevant,’ ≠Goseb said.