Ovambanderu leadership row in court

A RIFT in the ranks of the leadership of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority made its way into the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.

Eleven traditional councillors of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority approached the court with an urgent application to challenge their removal from their traditional leadership positions in late March. In court, Judge Elton Hoff was told that the case had been settled – or at least for now.In terms of the settlement, the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority and Paramount Chief Munjuku Nguvauva II have to reinstate the 11 as traditional councillors with immediate effect, the 11 traditional councillors’ lawyer, Patrick Kauta, informed the Judge.This reinstatement will be pending negotiations or review proceedings in which the High Court is set to be asked to set aside the decision to remove them from their posts.In terms of the settlement, the 11 and the traditional authority and Paramount Chief Nguvauva further agreed that the review proceedings that the 11 plan to launch would be put on hold for two months, pending the outcome of negotiations in the meantime.The Paramount Chief is in frail health, and this state of affairs, says senior traditional councillor Erastus Tjiundikua Kahuure, is being used by unnamed people in “an attempt to manipulate and exploit his inability to the detriment of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority”.”It is a well-known fact that (Paramount Chief Nguvauva) medically suffers from ill health to the extent that he has impaired speech and is reduced to mere mutterings,” Kahuure is claiming in a sworn statement that was filed with the court in support of yesterday’s urgent application.He claimed both the Paramount Chief and the Traditional Authority had exhibited “erratic conduct” in the allegedly unilateral decision to remove him and the 10 other traditional councillors from their leadership positions.That step was taken after he had voiced disagreement with an alleged decision by the Paramount Chief to amend the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority’s Constitution without proper prior consultation with the traditional leadership structures.He himself and five of the other dismissed traditional councillors are from the Rietfontein constituency; the other five are from Aminuis, Kahuure stated.He alleged in his affidavit: “The unreasonable conduct of the (Ovambanderu Traditional Authority) creates anarchy, instability and (a) leadership vacuum in the Ovambanderu Traditional Community, particularly at Rietfontein and Aminuis Constituencies.More so, it has brought to a standstill all major activities of the Ovambanderu Traditional Community.”In this atmosphere, he went on to claim, “unscrupulous individuals” have now tried to transfer funds belonging to the traditional authority to individuals who are not in the top leadership of the traditional authority.He is fearing that these “unscrupulous individuals” – likewise unnamed – are trying to get their hands on some N$178 000 that belongs to the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority and is being kept in a bank account, Kahuure stated.In court, Judge Elton Hoff was told that the case had been settled – or at least for now.In terms of the settlement, the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority and Paramount Chief Munjuku Nguvauva II have to reinstate the 11 as traditional councillors with immediate effect, the 11 traditional councillors’ lawyer, Patrick Kauta, informed the Judge.This reinstatement will be pending negotiations or review proceedings in which the High Court is set to be asked to set aside the decision to remove them from their posts.In terms of the settlement, the 11 and the traditional authority and Paramount Chief Nguvauva further agreed that the review proceedings that the 11 plan to launch would be put on hold for two months, pending the outcome of negotiations in the meantime.The Paramount Chief is in frail health, and this state of affairs, says senior traditional councillor Erastus Tjiundikua Kahuure, is being used by unnamed people in “an attempt to manipulate and exploit his inability to the detriment of the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority”.”It is a well-known fact that (Paramount Chief Nguvauva) medically suffers from ill health to the extent that he has impaired speech and is reduced to mere mutterings,” Kahuure is claiming in a sworn statement that was filed with the court in support of yesterday’s urgent application.He claimed both the Paramount Chief and the Traditional Authority had exhibited “erratic conduct” in the allegedly unilateral decision to remove him and the 10 other traditional councillors from their leadership positions.That step was taken after he had voiced disagreement with an alleged decision by the Paramount Chief to amend the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority’s Constitution without proper prior consultation with the traditional leadership structures.He himself and five of the other dismissed traditional councillors are from the Rietfontein constituency; the other five are from Aminuis, Kahuure stated.He alleged in his affidavit: “The unreasonable conduct of the (Ovambanderu Traditional Authority) creates anarchy, instability and (a) leadership vacuum in the Ovambanderu Traditional Community, particularly at Rietfontein and Aminuis Constituencies.More so, it has brought to a standstill all major activities of the Ovambanderu Traditional Community.”In this atmosphere, he went on to claim, “unscrupulous individuals” have now tried to transfer funds belonging to the traditional authority to individuals who are not in the top leadership of the traditional authority.He is fearing that these “unscrupulous individuals” – likewise unnamed – are trying to get their hands on some N$178 000 that belongs to the Ovambanderu Traditional Authority and is being kept in a bank account, Kahuure stated.