PRESIDENT Hage Geingob has urged traditional leaders to use customary laws to resolve succession disputes, instead of going to court at taxpayers’ expense.
Addressing the annual Council of Traditional Leaders meeting in Windhoek yesterday, Geingob asked why traditional leaders were going to court, which was a “white culture”.
“There is a traditional authority way, what happened to it? Why don’t we follow our traditional authority laws? Why do we go to modern courts based on white culture?” the President asked.
These statements come after Geingob reportedly intervened in the affairs of the Ondonga Traditional Authority last month to advise them to resolve their succession dispute amongst themselves.
Geingob’s words were accentuated by deputy chair of the Council of Traditional Leaders, chief Immanuel /Gaseb, and urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga, who also echoed the view that customary law should be used to settle succession issues, and not the courts of law.
The President first expressed this sentiment a month ago, after ailing Ondonga King Elifas Kauluma was ordered to appear in court to testify, something which Geingob said shocked him, and which he described as demeaning the king.
He said traditional leaders were indispensable partners of government in the second phase of Namibia’s struggle for economic freedom, but that their integrity has been compromised.
“Unfortunately, the integrity of our traditional authorities has come under threat due to the infighting and instances of leadership succession disputes that continue to prevail […] In no way do these instances of infighting contribute towards the promotion and preservation of unity and the interests of the community.
“Government resources should be allocated towards infrastructure development, education and uplifting the poor and needy. Unfortunately, some of these resources are now being used for the purpose of resolving these needless disputes,” said Geingob.
The President added that each society has values, and issues of chieftainship succession in Africa should focus on maintaining the values and traditions of communities in the interest of wider society.
“Foregoing the traditional formula and taking these disputes into the arena of modern-day courts erodes the traditional values and norms in our society. I believe that these matters should be deliberated on at this conference to ensure that traditional authorities maintain their social stature,” said Geingob.
He described traditional leaders as sources of valuable wisdom, who play an important role in providing a sense of continuity and stability in an era of change.
The government also continued to value its relationships with traditional authorities, who advised the state on the use of communal land, among other matters.
Geingob added that he was grateful to have met the Ondonga chiefs, not as someone who was interfering, but as someone who was interested in discussions seeking an amicable solution.
Mushelenga yesterday reproached traditional leaders for being embroiled in disputes.
He said his ministry was compelled to investigate such issues, but the failure by traditional authorities to honour decisions and recommendations was a waste of public resources.
The minister also spoke out against many traditional authorities having failed to set up community trust funds, while those that have been created do not comply with general management guidelines.
He likewise criticised traditional leaders who benefited disproportionately from community resources.
“It is because of this that traditional authorities are now embroiled in disagreements, causing disunity in their communities,” said Mushelenga.
/Gaseb said traditional leaders are being used to advance the agendas of others.
“We have many court cases in which our traditional leaders are being summoned to appear, but most of these court cases are initiated by those who want to divide our traditional leaders and the community for their own interests,” he stated.
“I call upon our traditional leaders to come back to the culture of resolving our differences as per our acceptable diverse customary laws,” said /Gaseb.
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila yesterday said the upcoming land conference next month will review the resolutions of the 1991 land conference, and discuss the veterinary cordon fence, expropriation of land, the willing-buyer willing-seller principle, and ancestral land claims.
“It is my belief that the outcome of the conference will enable us as a nation to take concrete steps towards solving land questions. I call on our traditional authorities to join us in ensuring that deliberations will take place in a spirit of unity of purpose and a common agenda,” said Geingob.
