THE fight for the control of the Ondonga kingdom has taken a new twist after a meeting held on Saturday gave King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas’ wife 30 days to leave the palace.
More than 500 people attended the meeting, and accused the king’s wife, Sesilia Ndapandula Elifas, who is originally from the Ongandjera, of sowing division in the kingdom.
The meeting was called to brief the residents on the outcome of an urgent court application the suspended councillors had filed in the High Court of Namibia, demanding unrestricted access to the King in matters relating to the traditional authority and its members.
Judge Shafimana Ueitele struck the urgent application from the court roll, and ordered one of the suspended councillors, John Walenga, to pay the legal costs of the King’s wife.
Walenga had called for the meeting that was held at the Oluno community hall at Ondangwa, and which was attended by fellow suspended senior councillors Fillemon Nambili, Vilho Kamanya, Kashona Malulu and Ondonga king-in-waiting Fillemon Shuumbwa.
Shuumbwa, who is said to have been chosen by the King as his successor, has been attending all the meetings held by the suspended councillors.
Source told that the place where the meetings are usually held was heavily guarded by security guards, while security at the Ondonga Traditional Authority offices was tightened. The security guards frisked all the people visiting the offices, while vehicles were searched.
The community members who attended Saturday’s meeting also resolved that since the interim council is wasting money on paying security guards to prevent them from holding meetings at their usual gathering place, as well as paying a guard to provide security at the traditional authority office, they will now stop paying taxes to the traditional authority.
The Ondonga Traditional Authority generates millions of dollars in taxes from homesteads, shebeens, farms and owners of other establishments in the kingdom each year.
“The meeting resolved that all who are sympathetic to the suspended councillors and really want the laws and norms of Ondonga to be respected, should stop paying the taxes,” one source informed
According to this source, Walenga and company, after briefing the people on the outcome of the court hearing, asked the gathering for the way forward.
“The people told them that they should continue with the challenge. People are tired of the injustices happening in their kingdom. The people had vowed to rally behind them,” the source said, adding that some residents are planning to pool funds to continue with the legal battle.
Although the Ondonga fight started a few years back, it intensified this year as a result of succession moves. One faction led by Walenga wants Shuumbwa to succeed the ailing King, while the other led by the King’s wife wants Oscar Sheehama to take over the throne. The faction led by the King’s wife has been accused of playing dirty and waging a smear campaign to win the people’s support.
Interim Ondonga council spokesman Sakaria Nepando Amupanda yesterday labelled the organisers of Saturday’s meeting as desperate individuals who want to ‘cut off’ the King’s head.
“How can they be concerned about N$15 000 paid to a security company to protect the King and the property of the council, while ignoring the millions of council money they are spending on lawyers to cut off the head of the King? Ask them that question,” Amupanda said.
He added: “The money we used to pay the security company was given with the blessings of the King, while those who took the King to court took it (the money) illegally,” he opined.
Regarding the 30 days given to Secilia Elifas to leave Ondonga, Amupanda stressed that people are day-dreaming. “The Bible says what God has put together, no man can separate. The King is still married to his wife, and they have not divorced. Who are they to ask her to leave Ondonga? That is an insult to the King and his wife. This has never happened in Ondonga,” he said, adding that security guards will always be deployed whenever a threat arises.
