Succession storm brews at Uukolonkadhi

A dispute has erupted within the Uukolonkadhi royal family, with two members claiming the chieftaincy of the traditional authority.

Johannes Asino and his uncle, Malakia Shoombe, are both asserting their right to succeed the late chief Daniel Shooya.

Last week urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa wrote to Uukolonkadhi Traditional Authority chairperson Andreas Amunyela, granting approval for Shoombe to succeed Shooya.

The Uukolonkadhi community has been without a substantive chief since Shooya’s death in October 2024, who reigned for 39 years.

Speaking to The Namibian, Asino says the late chief personally nominated him as his successor during a meeting at the palace in 2007.

He says Shooya instructed him to keep the matter confidential.

“He told me that he had nominated me to be his successor when he was no longer alive. I kept it a secret as he advised,” Asino says.

He adds that in October 2020, Shooya summoned him again and reiterated his wish for his succession, citing his advanced age.

Asino says because he was employed, he proposed that Shoombe act as chief in the interim. He explains that Shoombe had served as the late chief’s secretary since 1996.

“I suggested that Malakia should act in the meantime. The late chief then asked whether Malakia was aware of this suggestion. I told him he was not, but that I would speak to him,” Asino says.

He says he later approached Shoombe and informed him of Shooya’s decision to nominate him as successor.

He also explained the proposal for Shoombe to act as interim chief. Asino adds that Shoombe agreed, and the two of them went to inform Shooya.

“The late chief again told both of us that he had nominated me as his successor,” Asino says.

He further says he drafted a letter to the urban and rural development minister to formalise Shoombe’s position as acting chief.

The letter was signed by Shooya and handed to Shoombe in the presence of traditional authority councillors and family members.

Asino alleges that Shooya had also deposited documents at a local church, a councillor’s office and with a lawyer, all indicating that Asino was his chosen successor.

“He never mentioned Malakia’s name anywhere. After the death of the late chief, his widow gave me a book in which he again stated that he would bequeath the chieftaincy to me,” Asino claims.

He alleges that ahead of Shooya’s burial, Shoombe attempted to convince him to announce to the community that Shoombe was the incoming chief, which he refused to do.

Asino says during the post-burial meeting, Amunyela also stated that the late chief had informed him that Asino was the nominated successor.

Asino says in late December 2024, Shoombe invited him to a family meeting without disclosing the agenda. He later learnt that the meeting discussed both the late chief’s firearms and the chieftaincy.

On 25 December 2024, Shoombe allegedly informed him that the meeting had decided Shoombe should assume the chieftancy, claiming Asino was unwilling to assume the role.

Another meeting was held last January, during which a committee was reportedly appointed to introduce Shoombe as the incoming chief to the senior traditional council.

Asino disputed this outcome, stating that meeting minutes clearly indicated otherwise.

He further says Shoombe proposed a rotational arrangement in which he would serve as chief for five years before handing over power.

“I rejected that proposal. Chieftaincy is not a job opportunity. It is a responsibility given by the late chief and by our ancestors,” Asino says.

He adds that on 14 February 2025, during a meeting with the senior traditional councillor, Shoombe chaired the meeting despite the presence of the council chairperson.

“That is when I realised that something was not right,” Asino says.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Shoombe said he could not comment on the matter as the traditional authority has a spokesperson.

“If you call me tomorrow or Thursday, I will tell you whom you should talk to,” he said.

Sankwasa wrote that the Uukolonkadhi Traditional Authority is required to do the official designation of the chief on the date, time and place to be determined by it.

“After the official designation, the minister will then finalise the recognition process in terms of Section 6 of the Traditional Authorities Act,” Sankwasa says in his letter.

However, in a letter written to Sankwasa by two members of the royal family, Rebekka Amunyela and Jonas Kambonde in October last year, Asino is the rightful heir to the throne. “Malakia Shoombe approached several family members and community members to persuade Asino to allow him to lead,” they wrote.

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