Church intervenes in OTA squabbles

Bishop Sageus /Keib of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) has stepped in as mediator ahead of the tombstone unveiling of Vekuii Rukoro, the late Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) paramount chief. This amid a clash for chieftaincy between professor Mutjinde Katjiua and OTA chairperson Vipuira Kapuuo.Kapuuo’s advisor Dr Uazuva Kaumbi confirmed that /Keib convened a long meeting last Thursday with the two factions, family members as well as representatives of the Herero Royal Red Flag Association as the patron. “The bishop convened the meeting in an attempt to broker an agreement to avoid people fighting at the graveside, because obviously as the church, they would not want such a scenario to unfold there. He was hoping by bringing people together we can actually reach an agreement, which we did - in principle. “We are just working out the finer details and then hopefully today [Wednesday], we may issue a joint statement or maybe even have a press conference where we announce the deal and look at the practical aspects on how we will handle the day,” he said. He added that the church will take the lead in terms of cultural rituals and everyone else will follow, and since President Hage Geingob has accepted an invitation, there is a desire to keep the occasion dignified. Confirming the meeting, /Keib said they want to make sure there is unity amongst the Ovaherero people. "I am happy to say we are making progress. We will meet again next week," he said.Tug of warAccording to OTA secretary-general Grace Pujatura, they will make an announcement on the way forward this morning.“We are still to meet and decide the way forward. The purpose of the meeting is to try and reach consensus on how to handle the tombstone unveiling,” she said. Kapuuo and Katjiua are currently in a tug of war over the chieftaincy, with the former claiming that he should be acting chief of the Ovaherero community until a substantive paramount chief is elected. Katjiua, on the other hand, former advisor of the late Rukoro as well as chairperson of a transitional committee set up to handle the affairs of the OTA following Rukoro’s death, claims he has been duly endorsed as supreme leader at Onderombapa, Aminius constituency, and subsequently appointed as paramount chief.jemima@namibiansun.com

Church intervenes in OTA squabbles

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-16

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Church intervenes in OTA squabbles

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-16

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