Divided political allegiances at core of Damara disunity

The annual Damara Gaob Festival planned for November 10 will be marked against the background of an ever-widening rift among the Damara people.

The disunity is mainly fuelled by the political affiliation of its clan leaders. Although preparations for next month’s Damara Gaob Festival aimed at promoting unity are in full swing, divisions remain between the King Council (KC) and the Chief Council (CC).”This is not a good example for our attempt to propagate unity among the Damara people,” Festival Organising Committee Chairman, Elifas //Khoaseb told The Namibian.According to //Khoaseb, the division started after the Traditional Authorities Act was implemented.Former traditional authorities – such as the KC – which is accepted within the framework of the Damara Customary Law, was replaced by the ‘politically correct’ chief structure.He said 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” amongst the Damara people.President of the United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus //Garoeb, who became the official King of the Damara people in 1993, nominated candidates as the chiefs of the eight Damara sub-groups in terms of the Tradition Authorities Act.The eight Chiefs then later formed the CC and nominated Immanuel /Gaseb as the Chairman.According to //Khoaseb, the CC was elected without the blessing of the KC, which is customarily seen as the authoritative body.”While the KC acknowledges the chiefs, the CC does not acknowledge the authority of //Garoeb, nor the KC,” he said.”The CC assume they are politically in line with Namibia’s political legislation, hence assume the right not to submit to an authority which is not acknowledged within this legislation, although it enjoys the support of the majority of the Damaras.”According to an informed source within the CC, the CC has never been involved with the establishment of the festival organising committee.He said the committee was established by the KC and was therefore outside the perimeters of the legislative authority.While the festival committee is promoting the Gaob festival, there is a counter-move to disrupt the festival, according to //Khoaseb.There have even been radio broadcasts in which followers of the CC said that the festival will not be taking place.//Garoeb, on inquiry by The Namibian this week, said that it was not his intention to sow disunity, but to unite the Damara people under the Damara culture.He admitted that the disunity was politically motivated.He is the UDF president, while the majority of those seated on the CC are Swapo-affiliated.”I am confident though that we will be able to work things out.This should not be a political thing.We are all one people – the Damaras of Namibia,” //Garoeb said.Chief Bethuel Haraseb of the Chiefs Council told The Namibian that his group has “no problem” with //Garoeb.He however did agree that there are differences between the CC and KC.Haraseb disputed //Khoaseb claims that the majority of Damaras support the KC.According to him, the eight chiefs under the CC had the interests of all Damaras at heart and therefore garnered the most support.Haraseb also does not acknowledge the festival organising committee.He said that he had never been involved and that /Gaseb, who is a descendant of the royal house, never informed the CC about the upcoming festival.He also stated that the CC had never received any instruction from the KC regarding the Gaob festival.”We hear that a festival is taking place, but we do not know who this organising committee is and what they are doing,” he told The Namibian.Although preparations for next month’s Damara Gaob Festival aimed at promoting unity are in full swing, divisions remain between the King Council (KC) and the Chief Council (CC).”This is not a good example for our attempt to propagate unity among the Damara people,” Festival Organising Committee Chairman, Elifas //Khoaseb told The Namibian.According to //Khoaseb, the division started after the Traditional Authorities Act was implemented.Former traditional authorities – such as the KC – which is accepted within the framework of the Damara Customary Law, was replaced by the ‘politically correct’ chief structure.He said 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” amongst the Damara people. President of the United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus //Garoeb, who became the official King of the Damara people in 1993, nominated candidates as the chiefs of the eight Damara sub-groups in terms of the Tradition Authorities Act.The eight Chiefs then later formed the CC and nominated Immanuel /Gaseb as the Chairman.According to //Khoaseb, the CC was elected without the blessing of the KC, which is customarily seen as the authoritative body.”While the KC acknowledges the chiefs, the CC does not acknowledge the authority of //Garoeb, nor the KC,” he said.”The CC assume they are politically in line with Namibia’s political legislation, hence assume the right not to submit to an authority which is not acknowledged within this legislation, although it enjoys the support of the majority of the Damaras.”According to an informed source within the CC, the CC has never been involved with the establishment of the festival organising committee.He said the committee was established by the KC and was therefore outside the perimeters of the legislative authority.While the festival committee is promoting the Gaob festival, there is a counter-move to disrupt the festival, according to //Khoaseb.There have even been radio broadcasts in which followers of the CC said that the festival will not be taking place.//Garoeb, on inquiry by The Namibian this week, said that it was not his intention to sow disunity, but to unite the Damara people under the Damara culture.He admitted that the disunity was politically motivated.He is the UDF president, while the majority of those seated on the CC are Swapo-affiliated.”I am confident though that we will be able to work things out.This should not be a political thing.We are all one people – the Damaras of Namibia,” //Garoeb said.Chief Bethuel Haraseb of the Chiefs Council told The Namibian that his group has “no problem” with //Garoeb.He however did agree that there are differences between the CC and KC.Haraseb disputed //Khoaseb claims that the majority of Damaras support the KC.According to him, the eight chiefs under the CC had the interests of all Damaras at heart and therefore garnered the most support.Haraseb also does not acknowledge the festival organising committee.He said that he had never been involved and that /Gaseb, who is a descendant of the royal house, never informed the CC about the upcoming festival.He also stated that the CC had never received any instruction from the KC regarding the Gaob festival.”We hear that a festival is taking place, but we do not know who this organising committee is and what they are doing,” he told The Namibian.