Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa held an urgent meeting at Rundu on Friday to address the ongoing leadership dispute between two factions within the Gciriku Traditional Authority.
The authority has been without a recognised chief for nearly seven years, following the death of Hompa Shiyambi in November 2019.
After his death, disagreements among family members over who should succeed him escalated and ended up in the High Court.
The court has since referred the matter back to the minister, tasking him to make the final decision. This led to the consultative meeting with members of the Gciriku community.
During the meeting, Sankwasa said his decision will be guided by the Gciriku’s traditional and customary laws on how a chief is chosen.
“After having established and having satisfied myself about your customary law of nominating and designating a chief, I will then decide based on those facts to approve who must be the chief,” he told the gathering.
He also raised concerns about the nature of the dispute, suggesting that the factions may be more focused on personal gain than leadership.
The minister met separately with both factions and the Gciriku Traditional Council.
He is expected to consult additional stakeholders next week before making a final decision.
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