The Vaalgras community in the ||Kharas region is demanding that the regalia of their late chief, Joel Stephanus, be returned to the community archives.
The regalia, comprising a cape, staff and hat, represents the symbols of power for chieftainship, and was handed over to Samuel Stephanus.
Stephanus was crowned as the chief of the traditional community over the long weekend of 1 to 4 May by the Stephanus family.
Community spokesperson Fritz Stephanus on Wednesday said the widow of the late chief, Martha Stephanus, handed over the royal regalia without authority or the consent of the traditional community.
Fritz says the late chiefs’ traditional authority councillors’ final request to the chief was that the royal regalia be stored in the archives.
“This request was agreed to be honoured by the councillors and the widow, first lady Stephanus. But she took a U-turn on the agreement, which is unacceptable. Therefore, the regalia must be returned and taken to the archives.
“This is a very serious offence, needless to say,” Fritz says.
The coronated Samuel Stephanus is from the bloodline of his namesake, who is a brother of former chief Joel.
Chief Joel had another brother, Willem Stephanus, whose descendant Hage Stephanus was crowned last year.
The Vaalgras Traditional Authority has described both coronations as unprocedural according to the Traditional Authorities Act and the community’s customary law.
Senior councillor Martin Biwa says the authority cannot get government recognition as their coronations took place outside of the traditional authority and without the consent of the broader Vaalgras community.
“None of them have a supporting letter from the council or the backing of the broader community. Their applications were not even at the regional governor’s offices. How would the government recognise them?” he asks.
Martha Stephanus says since Samuel Stephanus hails from one of the bloodlines of her late husband’s brothers, she deemed it fit to hand over the regalia.
The widow says even though placing the regalia in the archives was discussed, it was not done in the eight years since her husband’s death.
“When the family approached me for Samuel and informed me of their intention to coronate him as successor to my husband, I was glad as he is part of the qualifying offspring according to the bloodline. The regalia was not requested when Hage was coronated,” the widow says.
The spokesperson for the Stephanus family who conducted the coronation, Laurencia Stephanus, concurs with Martha’s statement.
Laurentia says Martha was satisfied with the coronation of Samuel and handed them the symbols of power, which the family then handed over to Samuel.
“Based on customary law, the councillors and the community know that our house is the chieftainship house and that Samuel Stephanus is the rightful chief according to heritage. That is why the late chief’s wife did not have a problem handing us the regalia. She was glad to give it to us,” Laurencia maintains.
Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa last week called on traditional communities without chiefs to ensure they install legitimate chiefs by the end of the year, and are willing to provide proof of their claim to the throne.
