Dâure Daman community rejects chief’s comeback bid

Members of the Dâure Daman community oppose former chief Sagarias Seibeb’s court bid to regain chieftainship after his removal over alleged mismanagement and leadership disputes.

Community member Gregory Huseb told The Namibian last week that Seibeb, during his tenure, showed that he was not fit to lead the community or work in their benefit.

The concerns come amid reports that Seibeb had approached the High Court to challenge his removal as the leader of the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority.

He was removed last November under Section 8(4) of the Traditional Authorities Act, with the approval of president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

“People held demonstrations because only the chief and his house were benefiting from the natural resources of the area. We endured a lot of conflict.

There is no way we can welcome him back as our chief,” Huseb said.

The government’s decision to remove Seibeb was based on allegations of financial mismanagement.

In a letter dated 22 September 2025, urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa informed Seibeb that the ministry had started the degazetting process due to long-running dispute between the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority and a community group.

“Government efforts to resolve the matter had failed and patience had run out,” Sankwasa said.

Seibeb is seeking a judicial review to set aside the decision taken by the president and Sankwasa.

He also wants to be re-gazetted and recognised as chief in all official records.

“I am the duly recognised traditional chief of the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority,” Seibeb says in his founding affidavit.

Nandi-Ndaitwah says she intends to oppose the application.

Another community member, Anmire Dâusas, says the community initially supported Seibeb when he was conferred the chieftainship.

However, Dâusas says they later realised that the chief was involved in alleged irregularities, including the granting of exclusive prospecting licences to Chinese mining company Xhingfeng.

She says the chief was only there to promote nepotism, and self-enrichment, therefore, they passed a community vote of no confidence and repeatedly called for Seibeb’s removal.

“During his time Seibeb forgot that he was placed as a chief by the people and not the courts or the police.

But when the people needed him and wanted to speak to him to get answers on the alleged irregularities, he sent the police to us and now he is at the courts,” says Dâusas.

Dâure Daman Traditional Council acting chairperson Herman !Naruseb says the council took a decision to appoint a chairperson and vice chairperson to run the community’s administrative affairs.

!Naruseb says that, with a fresh legal challenge to the chieftainship and an interim chief already installed, the community cannot proceed with appointing a substantive Dâure Daman chief.

“We have to wait now to hear the outcome of the court and then the community has to decide the way forward.

Therefore, we found it wise to rather have an interim arrangement to avoid a leadership vacuum until the matters are finalised,” !Naruseb says.

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