THE Ondonga Traditional Authority says Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo, the personal assistant to Ondonga King Immanuel Elifas, will succeed him.
The traditional authority said this on Tuesday in a letter that responded to complaints raised by some community members over the past weeks.
The letter states that King Elifas appointed Shuumbwa on 20 September 2002 as his successor. The King wrote to the line ministry already on 2 June 2012, informing them of his decision. The traditional authority said Shuumbwa’s appointment was done procedurally and with the blessing of all the Ondonga royal house elders and advisers.
Rumours have been making the rounds in the Ondonga tribal kingdom, with some people saying King Elifas will be succeeded by Shuumbwa, while others said Oscar Sheehama was the successor. Both are King Elifas’s great-grandchildren.
Many believed Sheehama stood a good chance because he is queen Cecilia Elifas’ ally and has enormous power to influence the decision-making process.
The traditional authority said it is disappointed in Sheehama’s behaviour of threatening some members of the authority and the royal house.
“The traditional authority is astonished by the behaviour of Sheehama, who was a senior police officer in the Namibian Police force, and who is supposed to know how law and order work.
He is making threats, telling people that they would get what they are looking for,” the statement said.
The traditional authority said they are likewise astonished by the new cooperation between Sheehama and Ondonga queen Cecilia Elifas.
They denounced the so-called “queen’s clique”, saying they do not recognise it, and it does not make any decisions.
They will continue working together with Shuumbwa because he is the only person authorised by the
traditional authority to act on behalf of the King, and any message or
statement made by anybody other than him regarding the Ondonga
traditional authority, is null and void.
The traditional authority, however, said they appreciated what the queen has done and continues doing for King Elifas, especially judging by the condition he is in now.
The traditional authority also expressed shock that some people are selling land, despite not having the power to do so.
They said whoever was given land legally by the traditional council and had it taken away or seen it sold to someone else, must be assured that the land still belonged to them.
A group calling itself the ‘Ondonga royal clan elders’ has, however, said neither Shuumbwa nor Sheehama can succeed king Elifas as there is a generation ahead of them, and that the next King or queen will come from that generation.
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