IN what is seen as a move to further fuel the disunity among the Damaras, the “young concerned people” who came together at Okombahe last weekend have called on their king Justus //Garoëb to disband the Chiefs’ Council.
They claimed that //Garoëb had acted outside his mandate to appoint members of the Chiefs’ Council and say it has contributed to the recent leadership crisis experienced by the Damaras. The Chiefs’ Council was established by seven recognised Damara traditional communities and is headed by !Oe#Gan Chief Immanuel Nu-Axa Gaseb.Although, according to Damara custom, the Chiefs’ Council was supposed to be under the King’s Council, and conflict arose when the recognised chiefs refused to be subjected to the rule of people in the King’s Council who are not recognised by Government as traditional leaders.The majority of those in the Chiefs’ Council are Swapo members while those in the King’s Council are mainly members of the United Democratic Front (UDF).The group said they had enough of the “politics of the belly” which had compromised the future of the people and contributed to them being economically marginalised.Rosa Namises, spokesperson of the group, said the leadership crisis took centre stage most of the time, with emotions and energies high.”The meeting is of the opinion that the Gaob (King) did not act procedurally within the framework of the unwritten customary law of the #Nukhoen (Damaras) and article 3 of the King’s Council constitution that provides for the election and acknowledgement and appointment of headmen,” Namises said.She said the young people acted in line with a section in the Traditional Authorities Act which provides for the removal and succession of a chief or head of traditional authority.The group was particularly disturbed when they arrived at Okombahe but were not given access to the People’s House to use it.The People’s House is currently under the management of the !Oe#Gan traditional authority of /Gaseb.The meeting called on //Garoëb and his Council to accelerate the review of their structures within the next four weeks and to share them with the #Nukhoen through public discussions before it is finalised with the annual People’s Assembly of the #Nukhoe (also known as the King’s Festival) in November.Namises said the group told //Garoëb to “facilitate” the process for the re-election and appointment of all chiefs or headmen for the eight sub-clans of the Damaras.The move is seen as a major step to challenge the authority of the recognised traditional leaders as well as Government’s decision to do so.However, The Namibian understands that most of the recognised leaders were actually given the status based on recommendations made by //Garoëb as their king.Although the group claimed to be apolitical, there was already a feeling that their move was orchestrated by //Garoëb who yesterday said the disunity had become “unbearable” for the Damara community.Namises said they observed for too long and decided to organise themselves in different regions before coming together last weekend.”We consulted Gaob (//Garoëb) and other chiefs and as concerned individuals decided to come together,” she said.Another organiser, Leonard !Hoaeb, said they have nothing to do with politics.”Politics is your choice but you have not chosen to be #Nukhoen.We need to keep politics out of our culture,” he said.//Garoëb promised to act on the resolutions by calling a King’s Council and Executive Committee meeting over this weekend.He expressed the wish to have all finalised by the end of this month.”We don’t want ill-feelings to contaminate the annual Gaob festival,” he said.The Chiefs’ Council was established by seven recognised Damara traditional communities and is headed by !Oe#Gan Chief Immanuel Nu-Axa Gaseb.Although, according to Damara custom, the Chiefs’ Council was supposed to be under the King’s Council, and conflict arose when the recognised chiefs refused to be subjected to the rule of people in the King’s Council who are not recognised by Government as traditional leaders.The majority of those in the Chiefs’ Council are Swapo members while those in the King’s Council are mainly members of the United Democratic Front (UDF).The group said they had enough of the “politics of the belly” which had compromised the future of the people and contributed to them being economically marginalised.Rosa Namises, spokesperson of the group, said the leadership crisis took centre stage most of the time, with emotions and energies high.”The meeting is of the opinion that the Gaob (King) did not act procedurally within the framework of the unwritten customary law of the #Nukhoen (Damaras) and article 3 of the King’s Council constitution that provides for the election and acknowledgement and appointment of headmen,” Namises said.She said the young people acted in line with a section in the Traditional Authorities Act which provides for the removal and succession of a chief or head of traditional authority.The group was particularly disturbed when they arrived at Okombahe but were not given access to the People’s House to use it.The People’s House is currently under the management of the !Oe#Gan traditional authority of /Gaseb.The meeting called on //Garoëb and his Council to accelerate the review of their structures within the next four weeks and to share them with the #Nukhoen through public discussions before it is finalised with the annual People’s Assembly of the #Nukhoe (also known as the King’s Festival) in November.Namises said the group told //Garoëb to “facilitate” the process for the re-election and appointment of all chiefs or headmen for the eight sub-clans of the Damaras.The move is seen as a major step to challenge the authority of the recognised traditional leaders as well as Government’s decision to do so.However, The Namibian understands that most of the recognised leaders were actually given the status based on recommendations made by //Garoëb as their king.Although the group claimed to be apolitical, there was already a feeling that their move was orchestrated by //Garoëb who yesterday said the disunity had become “unbearable” for the Damara community.Namises said they observed for too long and decided to organise themselves in different regions before coming together last weekend.”We consulted Gaob (//Garoëb) and other chiefs and as concerned individuals decided to come together,” she said.Another organiser, Leonard !Hoaeb, said they have nothing to do with politics.”Politics is your choice but you have not chosen to be #Nukhoen.We need to keep politics out of our culture,” he said.//Garoëb promised to act on the resolutions by calling a King’s Council and Executive Committee meeting over this weekend.He expressed the wish to have all finalised by the end of this month.”We don’t want ill-feelings to contaminate the annual Gaob festival,” he said.
