Vaalgras group moves to oust chief

DISSIDENT Vaalgras tribesmen and women who oppose Chief Joel Stephanus have stepped up their bid to topple him from his throne.

Stephanus’s rivals on Saturday nominated Reverend Andreas Biwa, Imgardt Eises and Lukas Apollus as candidates for the chieftaincy.The election is scheduled for September 1.The nomination was almost derailed when a heated debate erupted over draft nomination rules stipulating that only those in attendance at the meeting were eligible to stand. The members differed on how to handle the nomination, and whether or not to allow nominations of candidates who were not present at the meeting. Biwa was one of the the nominees who was not present at the meeting. Former parliamentarian Eric Biwa insisted that absent candidates should be disqualified, claiming that ‘if you are not present I do not see reason why you should be nominated’.Patricia Apollus-Keeja disagreed.She called for the postponement of the nomination, arguing that not all members knew about the rule disqualifying absent candidates.However, after a two-hour debate it was agreed that nominations for an absent candidate would be accepted. Apollus-Keeja was nominated as chief councillor but declined the nomination. ‘I cannot accept the nomination while I am calling for the postponement of the nomination. There are reservations on the technical regulations,’ Apollus-Keeja said.Former Vaalgras traditional councillors Manuel Hinda and Willem Apollus, who were fired by Chief Stephanus for alleged disloyalty, and Caroline Apollus were nominated to run for the chief traditional councillor position.Fourteen people will be elected as traditional councillors.Meanwhile, Chief Joel Stephanus has vowed to remain as the legitimate leader of the Vaalgras community and vowed to fight the move to oust him. ‘I am not guilty of crimes such as rape, murder or theft on which basis they can remove me,’ Stephanus said at a media briefing he had arranged separately on Saturday.Stephanus played his cards close to the chest on how he will fight the concerned group’s attempts to oust him. ‘Let them first elect their leader, then I’ll fight him when I know him,’ he said. Stephanus said the tribe’s leadership wrangle started after he had exercised his prerogative to appoint traditional councillors in February 2009. ‘Some were not happy with my appointments because they dislike some of the appointees because of their race colours,’ said Stephanus. Stephanus also brushed off allegations that he had failed to bring much-needed development to the community of Vaalgras. ‘I don’t know what they are referring to if they claim there is no development,’ Stephanus said angrily, highlighting the infrastructure development, ostrich farming and water provision which he had initiated.

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