Daure Daman group call for Erongo governor's removal

A group claiming to represent the Daure Daman Traditional Elders Council on Wednesday petitioned for the removal of Erongo governor Nathalia /Goagoses, accusing her of interfering in traditional leadership matters and disrespecting customary procedures.

/Goagoses has rejected the allegations, saying they are false, defamatory and amount to a personal attack. She said the matter has been referred to her legal counsel.

The petitioners accuse /Goagoses of involving herself in a Daure Daman leadership dispute and of promoting Herman Naruseb, whom they describe as an unelected individual.

They say traditional leadership decisions belong to the elders and not to political office-bearers.

“The tradition is not the political affair,” the petition states.

According to the petition, the Daure Daman clan elected Isaskar Taurob as chief on 12 August 2025. The petitioners claim the governor refused to sign official forms after the election and failed to respect the elders’ decision.

The dispute follows a long-running leadership row over the removal of former chief Sagarias Seibeb and competing claims over who should lead the traditional authority.

Seibeb approached the High Court earlier this year to challenge his removal and wanted to be re-gazetted and recognised as chief in official records. He sought a judicial review to set aside decisions taken by the president and urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa.

The Daure Daman Traditional Authority has also argued that ministers do not have the power to remove and degazette traditional authority chiefs. It argued that Seibeb’s removal was not done in line with the process provided for in the Traditional Authorities Act 25 of 2000 and was therefore unprocedural.

The petition also comes after the Daure Daman Traditional Authority council had sought /Goagoses’ intervention in chieftaincy and governance issues.

In Wednesday’s petition, the petitioners claim /Goagoses acted outside Daure Daman customary procedures.

The group’s demands include that the Daure Daman traditional office be closed, that tribal documents and council records be handed to Taurob, that the elders be granted an appointment with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah before August, and that an announcement made on 12 August 2025 be signed.

/Goagoses had said her office had not been directly notified by the organisers.

Personal and defamatory

She said the issues raised in the petition did not warrant government intervention and were aimed at her personally.

“The issues that came out from this petition are issues that have nothing to do with any governance of the traditional authorities nor with any other administrative function, but rather personal attacks on the governor,” she said.

She rejected the accusation that she promoted an unelected individual.

“If a community member comes to a meeting called by the governor, I have no right whatsoever to exclude any member,” she said.

According to /Goagoses, one of the meetings referred to by the petitioners was held in the Daures constituency on 30 October 2025 and concerned the Brandberg mountain becoming a heritage candidate. She said her office did not decide which community leaders or members attended the meeting.

“So therefore, the claims that the governor promotes unelected individuals are false. It is untrue,” she said.

The governor also rejected the allegation that she was corrupt.

“This is defamation of my character. This is damaging my reputation as a leader who came to unite the people of this region,” she said.

She demanded that the petitioners provide credible evidence for the allegations.

The governor also rejected claims that she had caused division in the community while serving as chief regional officer, and that she had been removed from that position by the late president Hage Geingob.

She said she had handed the petition to her legal counsel for advice.

“I need to protect my name, which I have carried in this public service for more than 45 years,” /Goagoses said.