MEMBERS of the royal Nguvauva clan of the deeply divided Ovambanderu people will start deliberations today to find a successor to the late Chief Munjuku II Nguvauva, who died in January this year.
At least two of the late Chief’s sons claim to be the rightful successor to the throne. A large Ovambanderu delegation from Botswana is also expected at the Ezorongondo settlement near the Epukiro Roman Catholic mission station in the Omaheke Region, since members of the Nguvauva clan also live in western Botswana.The ‘Concerned Group’ under Senior Traditional Erastus Kahuure will not attend the three-day gathering, a source told The Namibian yesterday.”We received no formal invitation and the gathering should have been called by Councillor Kahuure and not by (acting Chief) Peter Nguvuauva,” the source said.Kahuure was axed together with ten other traditional councillors a few years ago, as they were opposed to a controversial change of the clan’s constitution.The constitutional dispute has been dragging on for the past ten years.Kahuure and his ten colleagues successfully took the matter to the High Court and the judges ruled that they should be reinstated.The other side has appealed to the Supreme Court against this ruling.The late Chief Nguvauva had several sons from two marriages.The eldest son of his second wife, 23-year-old Keharanjo Nguvauva, who grew up in Botswana, says he is the heir and his father had made it public that he, Keharanjo, should succeed him.On the other side is Deputy Fisheries Minister Kilus Nguvauva, who was declared the successor by a group of followers a few weeks ago, but without the consent of the whole Nguvauva clan.According to Ngahahe Tjiposa, spokesperson of the Nguvauva Traditional Authority, the gathering is for the whole Mbanderu community, but only the Nguvauva clan would choose the next chief.”We are sure that the late Chief Munjuku II left directions before his death which will be disclosed this weekend regarding his preferred successor,” Tjiposa told The Namibian.”Each and every Mbanderu will have to accept and live with the legacy (instructions) our late Chief left before his death.”According to Ovambanderu tradition, this would have been confidentially conveyed by the Chief to his closest and most senior confidante – in this case, acting Ovambanderu Chief Peter Nguvauva.A large Ovambanderu delegation from Botswana is also expected at the Ezorongondo settlement near the Epukiro Roman Catholic mission station in the Omaheke Region, since members of the Nguvauva clan also live in western Botswana.The ‘Concerned Group’ under Senior Traditional Erastus Kahuure will not attend the three-day gathering, a source told The Namibian yesterday.”We received no formal invitation and the gathering should have been called by Councillor Kahuure and not by (acting Chief) Peter Nguvuauva,” the source said.Kahuure was axed together with ten other traditional councillors a few years ago, as they were opposed to a controversial change of the clan’s constitution.The constitutional dispute has been dragging on for the past ten years.Kahuure and his ten colleagues successfully took the matter to the High Court and the judges ruled that they should be reinstated.The other side has appealed to the Supreme Court against this ruling.The late Chief Nguvauva had several sons from two marriages.The eldest son of his second wife, 23-year-old Keharanjo Nguvauva, who grew up in Botswana, says he is the heir and his father had made it public that he, Keharanjo, should succeed him.On the other side is Deputy Fisheries Minister Kilus Nguvauva, who was declared the successor by a group of followers a few weeks ago, but without the consent of the whole Nguvauva clan.According to Ngahahe Tjiposa, spokesperson of the Nguvauva Traditional Authority, the gathering is for the whole Mbanderu community, but only the Nguvauva clan would choose the next chief.”We are sure that the late Chief Munjuku II left directions before his death which will be disclosed this weekend regarding his preferred successor,” Tjiposa told The Namibian.”Each and every Mbanderu will have to accept and live with the legacy (instructions) our late Chief left before his death.”According to Ovambanderu tradition, this would have been confidentially conveyed by the Chief to his closest and most senior confidante – in this case, acting Ovambanderu Chief Peter Nguvauva.
