THE rift among the deeply divided Ovambanderu community, who are engaged in a bitter succession battle after their Chief died early this year, widened again yesterday when a faction under Senior Traditional Councillor Erastus Kahuure announced they would inaugurate their preferred candidate, Keharanjo II Nguvauva, as the new chief on August 9 at Okeseta near Gobabis.
The other candidate, Deputy Fisheries Minister Kilus Nguvauva, was recently endorsed as the “rightful heir” by the other faction and he is to be inaugurated at Epukiro north of Gobabis on August 16. The plot at Okeseta would become the “main traditional cultural centre and headquarters of the Ovambanderu Traditional Community,” Kahuure told reporters.This had so far been at Epukiro.”The Supreme Council of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority held a meeting at Gobabis last weekend, attended by over 240 people and it was resolved to enthrone 23-year-old Keharanjo and make Okeseta the tribal headquarters.Okeseta is currently under the custodianship of Aletha Nguvauva, young Keharanjo’s mother and widow of our late Chief Munjuku,” Kahuure added.About 300 of his followers were present at the press briefing, including the late chief’s widow.The dispute over the chieftaincy flared up immediately after Chief Munjuku’s death with the Kahuure group claiming that Keharanjo, who is from a second marriage, comes from the right lineage.Kilus Nguvauva was born from an informal union and according to Ovambanderu tradition can allegedly not succeed his late father.The faction opposing Kahuure’s stance pulled a hat trick a few weeks ago by producing a will allegedly drawn up by the late chief a few years ago, designating his son Kilus as his successor.However, the Kahuure faction said there was no such document and that Munjuku had for several years designated his younger son, Keharanjo.Asked to comment yesterday about the second chief, the spokesperson of the Kilus Nguvauva faction, Ngahahe Tjiposa, said this move was against the new Ovambanderu constitution and against the Traditional Authorities Act.”This is totally uncalled for – under what tribal authority do the others want to inaugurate a second chief? There is an acting chief in place, Peter Nguvauva, brother of the late chief, but they did not even ask his permission for their undertaking,” Tjiposa told The Namibian.Commenting on the new “headquarters” at Okeseta, Tjiposa reacted that the other group did not have the authority to do that.”Acting Chief Peter Nguvauva is the caretaker and they cannot just take that plot,” Tjiposa reacted.The Namibian yesterday asked Kilus Nguvauva whether he would resign from his positions as Regional Councillor and Deputy Minister once inaugurated as Chief, as the Traditional Authorities Act stipulates.”It is too early to comment on that,” Deputy Minister Nguvauva said.”I will only comment on this after August 16.”The plot at Okeseta would become the “main traditional cultural centre and headquarters of the Ovambanderu Traditional Community,” Kahuure told reporters.This had so far been at Epukiro.”The Supreme Council of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority held a meeting at Gobabis last weekend, attended by over 240 people and it was resolved to enthrone 23-year-old Keharanjo and make Okeseta the tribal headquarters.Okeseta is currently under the custodianship of Aletha Nguvauva, young Keharanjo’s mother and widow of our late Chief Munjuku,” Kahuure added.About 300 of his followers were present at the press briefing, including the late chief’s widow.The dispute over the chieftaincy flared up immediately after Chief Munjuku’s death with the Kahuure group claiming that Keharanjo, who is from a second marriage, comes from the right lineage.Kilus Nguvauva was born from an informal union and according to Ovambanderu tradition can allegedly not succeed his late father.The faction opposing Kahuure’s stance pulled a hat trick a few weeks ago by producing a will allegedly drawn up by the late chief a few years ago, designating his son Kilus as his successor.However, the Kahuure faction said there was no such document and that Munjuku had for several years designated his younger son, Keharanjo.Asked to comment yesterday about the second chief, the spokesperson of the Kilus Nguvauva faction, Ngahahe Tjiposa, said this move was against the new Ovambanderu constitution and against the Traditional Authorities Act.”This is totally uncalled for – under what tribal authority do the others want to inaugurate a second chief? There is an acting chief in place, Peter Nguvauva, brother of the late chief, but they did not even ask his permission for their undertaking,” Tjiposa told The Namibian.Commenting on the new “headquarters” at Okeseta, Tjiposa reacted that the other group did not have the authority to do that.”Acting Chief Peter Nguvauva is the caretaker and they cannot just take that plot,” Tjiposa reacted.The Namibian yesterday asked Kilus Nguvauva whether he would resign from his positions as Regional Councillor and Deputy Minister once inaugurated as Chief, as the Traditional Authorities Act stipulates.”It is too early to comment on that,” Deputy Minister Nguvauva said.”I will only comment on this after August 16.”
