Govt And The Ovambanderu

THE Ovaherero and Ovambanderu people have been suppressed by colonial forces of Germany and South Africa until Independence in 1990.

In 1975 the South African Government put in place the Turnhalle political process until 1980, but did not regard the Ovambanderu as a separate group. They resorted under the Herero people, according to Turnhalle politics.
The late Chief Munjuku II Nguvauva, who died a year ago, was elected in the 1950s and was instrumental in the Namibian liberation struggle. In the Seventies he and the Ovambanderu became Swapo members.
When Namibia became independent in 1990, President Sam Nujoma regarded the Ovambanderu as a (separate) group and we also established our own tribal authority.
After President Hifikepunye Pohamba took over office in March 2005, the Ovambanderu people were put back into the colonial era where we were before and our identity virtually taken away a well as the right to be our own group. We feel we are oppressed by the present government and taken back to the times of colonial oppression, although we are also Namibians and part of Namibia.
At the moment there is no difference between Pohamba’s government and the colonial era. The present government has returned the devil (of colonialism) as we feel our rights as a community of this country are infringed. This Government is also not granting us an opportunity to meet our Ovambanderu leaders to explain the burning issues affecting us.
Government appears not to be interested in the Ovambanderu community, this reminds us of the days of South African president PW Botha.
The current stance of the Namibian government will prompt us to go to other SADC states, to Europe and the US to inform them about the situation of the Ovambanderu now in Namibia and how we are treated in our own country.
We believe we will fight against this current oppression as we did against apartheid colonialism.
Even if the Namibian government does not want us – the Ovambanderu community – we will remain with Swapo as we fought alongside Swapo during the liberation struggle and went through all the hardships to liberate Namibia.
Our community has its disputes and there was even a court case in 2008 where the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority and against the so-called ‘concerned group’ which disputed the constitution of the Authority. They lost the court case but they are still in dispute. Why don’t they come to us so we are together again?
Last week at Ezorongondo near Epukiro at the royal Nguvauva homestead, the Police came and prevented a meeting, which we hold every year at that time. The Police are now coming to our meetings. When the Police comes there it reminds us of the apartheid time!
All things that discussed relating to Ovambanderu, every meeting should be held at Ezorongondo, wish also where the Holy Fire is and where the spirits of our ancestors give us strength and which should be respected and not attended by people armed with guns.

Uanongovandu Mbaeva
Gobabis