Laws on traditional leaders to change

GOVERNMENT intends to reform the laws guiding traditional authorities and leaders to adapt to the changing needs of leaders and communities, a Government official said yesterday.

Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, John Pandeni, was speaking at the ninth annual conference of the Council of Traditional Leaders underway in Windhoek this week. He said the reform process would involve the participation of rural communities, local and regional councils to see how traditional leaders could be brought into the development planning mainstream and examine if the current traditional institutions were appropriate to cater for community needs.The primary function of the Council of Traditional Leaders (CTL) is to advise the head of state on communal land issues, customs and traditions.”We will look into how traditional leaders and the TCL can become more accessible to rural people and avoid duplication of functions, while we recognise that 70 per cent of Namibia’s population lives in rural areas,” Pandeni said.”Traditional leaders are the eyes and ears of Government at the grassroots level,” Pandeni emphasised.He also expressed concern about continuing disputes among some traditional authorities, which the CTL had to resolve.Traditional leaders and their communities could assist Government in overcoming developmental and other challenges, Prime Minister Nahas Angula said at the opening.”One purpose of the envisaged reform is to instil unity within tribes, not only between them.Many communities apply for recognition as a traditional authority.This is their right, but we should be concerned that the values of unity that characterise our unitary state are at stake.”Reasons for this fragmentation needed to be identified to reverse this trend, he added.This sentiment was echoed by Council Chairman King Elifas Kauluma, who said the increasing applications for recognition lead to “disintegration of community norms and values, while jurisdiction of communal areas of new applicants often are non-existent.”The Traditional Authorities Act should be revisited, as the present legislation was “too soft” on criteria to be met for recognition, he said.The traditional leaders will discuss applications for recognition as traditional authorities from the Khwe-San, the Simon Kooper community as well as the Ombandi, Audaman, Namidaman, Dauredaman and Hei-Khaua communities.Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako again submitted an application for recognition as a traditional authority.The week-long meeting will further discuss land resettlement, the possible deployment of Police in every settlement and village, economic developments like mining and fishing to benefit rural communities.The licensing of shebeens and cuca shops is also on the agenda.He said the reform process would involve the participation of rural communities, local and regional councils to see how traditional leaders could be brought into the development planning mainstream and examine if the current traditional institutions were appropriate to cater for community needs.The primary function of the Council of Traditional Leaders (CTL) is to advise the head of state on communal land issues, customs and traditions.”We will look into how traditional leaders and the TCL can become more accessible to rural people and avoid duplication of functions, while we recognise that 70 per cent of Namibia’s population lives in rural areas,” Pandeni said.”Traditional leaders are the eyes and ears of Government at the grassroots level,” Pandeni emphasised.He also expressed concern about continuing disputes among some traditional authorities, which the CTL had to resolve.Traditional leaders and their communities could assist Government in overcoming developmental and other challenges, Prime Minister Nahas Angula said at the opening.”One purpose of the envisaged reform is to instil unity within tribes, not only between them.Many communities apply for recognition as a traditional authority.This is their right, but we should be concerned that the values of unity that characterise our unitary state are at stake.”Reasons for this fragmentation needed to be identified to reverse this trend, he added.This sentiment was echoed by Council Chairman King Elifas Kauluma, who said the increasing applications for recognition lead to “disintegration of community norms and values, while jurisdiction of communal areas of new applicants often are non-existent.”The Traditional Authorities Act should be revisited, as the present legislation was “too soft” on criteria to be met for recognition, he said.The traditional leaders will discuss applications for recognition as traditional authorities from the Khwe-San, the Simon Kooper community as well as the Ombandi, Audaman, Namidaman, Dauredaman and Hei-Khaua communities.Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako again submitted an application for recognition as a traditional authority.The week-long meeting will further discuss land resettlement, the possible deployment of Police in every settlement and village, economic developments like mining and fishing to benefit rural communities.The licensing of shebeens and cuca shops is also on the agenda.