FORMER regional government minister, Charles Namoloh, has declared that a meeting at which the Vaalgras concerned group claims to have ousted their tribal leader Joel Stephanus and his traditional council, was illegal.
According to Namoloh, the meeting held on 4 June 2011, at which the concerned group claims to have removed Stephanus and his council from office “was not procedurally constituted for the purpose of deposing the chief”.
Namoloh labelled the meeting as that of an interest group – the concerned group – convened for the purpose of discussing the community’s grievances and not to remove Stephanus from office.
“That meeting of 118 people (2% to 4%) out of about 3 000 to 5 000 residents of Vaalgras, acted without the mandate from the wider community. The meeting took place without consent and the presence of the chief and his council,” Namoloh added.
For this reason, among others, in a letter dated 16 March, of which The Namibian has seen a copy, Namoloh told Stephanus that he and his council were still the legitimate and officially recognised traditional authority in the Vaalgras communal area.
“The Vaalgras Traditional Authority under chief Joel Stephanus remains the gazetted authority in the Vaalgras communal area as per government gazette no. 1828 of 31 March 1998,” Namoloh emphasised.
Namoloh’s declaration is based on findings of a ministerial inquiry into the Vaalgras leadership dispute recently.
Furthermore, he said the accusations of maladministration and bad governance levelled against Stephanus and his council by the concerned group “lack substantive and concrete evidence”.
“As they do not constitute sufficient numbers and give compelling reasons to warrant the removal of the chief in terms of Section 8 of the Traditional Authorities Act No. 25 of 2000, Section 8 was thus not complied with,” Namoloh said.
At a recent media conference at Keetmanshoop, the concerned group leader Andries Biwa said the group will sue Namoloh and government for having turned down their request to de-gazette the appointment of Stephanus and his council.
Biwa vowed that the concerned group will instal a new leadership with or without government approval at the end of May.
luqman@namibian.com.na
