Community influence in the selection and replacement of traditional leaders

The recent rampant practice in Namibia of subjecting traditional leaders to election processes or installations is a departure from traditional norms.

Namibia, a democratic country that upholds the doctrine of majority rule, is witnessing a shift towards politically appointed or elected traditional leaders.

However, I wish to criticise this trend.

The position of a traditional leader should ideally be hereditary rather than being determined through elections or political appointments.

Some traditional authorities are now adopting the Western method of selecting their representatives, seemingly detached from their roots and ancestral practices.

Recently, I came across a case where a politician installed a traditional chief. Just yesterday, there was an attempt to remove another chief through a voting process. In one of the major tribes in the country, the practice of holding elections reportedly began as far back as the 18th century.

The questions, however, would be, ‘Why would traditional leaders need a hand-picked political affiliate to install them?’

Why should subjects have to go to the ballot box to decide who governs their traditional matters and legacies, or where does one derive the authority to vote out a chief they did not vote in?

I believe that the practice of chieftainships should entail a chief and their subjects, as it was traditionally and ideally ought to be in any traditional society.

Harbouring doubts

The notion of having a head and electorates goes against the traditions and customs of African tribes.

Another issue arises with the installation of a chief through political means. The subjects of such a tribe, where a chief was politically installed, may grudgingly accept such a leader while harbouring doubts.

A leader appointed in this manner could be removed abruptly, a process that lacks any constitutional basis and contradicts the principle of separation of powers. It is a top-down approach, and such an appointer would likely be akin to a functus officio if any of the subjects were to lodge a complaint about the appointed chief to the same appointer.

Therefore, Namibians need to awaken and steer clear of the tendency to embrace foreign practices. We must hold fast to our customs, traditions, and practices in line with the ways paved by our forefathers.

Instead of unthinkingly following Western teachings, we should demonstrate that these ideas are better off discarded. 

*Dikson Nangombe is a Namibian police officer and scholar. He writes of his own volition. He can be reached at [email protected]