Police dragged into Masubia chieftaincy battle

Two royal houses from the Masubia traditional authority have approached the Namibian Police to intervene and block plans to install a caretaker chief.

Talks have been rife this week that the wheels are in motion to install former police officer Fredrick Nalisa as the caretaker chief of the traditional authority tomorrow at Bukalo, a proposal that is seemingly not sitting well with certain quarters of that community.

The Mahundu, Kasika and Ngoma royal houses make up the Masubia traditional authority and are deemed its spinal cord.

According to insiders, the customary law process of the authority does not permit one royal house to install a chief without the approval of the other two.

Chairperson Nawa Nawa from the Kasika royal house and Raphael Mbala from Ngoma royal house both confirmed this week that they have sought police intervention to stop any installation from taking place, albeit at different intervals.

Zambezi Region operational commander, deputy commissioner Joseph Nehemia, confirmed that the groups approached him.

“Yes, they were here, but I cannot talk much now because we referred them to the traditional authority to find a solution to the matter,” he said.

Widespread support

It appears Nalisa enjoys widespread support from the top brass in the Mahundu royal house, while the other two royal houses dislike him mainly because of his criminal conviction. He was sentenced to two years in jail.

The rapid ascendancy of Nalisa, who was sprung from prison recently after his 2020 theft conviction, has hinged entirely on a strategy of alleged bulldozing by members of the Mahundu royal house who are said to be rooting for him.

His conviction stemmed from allegations that from October 2007 to March 2012, Nalisa (58) and his two co-accused Trodah Simataa (41) and Ronetty Nyambe (41) stole money paid by suspects to the police as fines or bail deposits.

The theft came to light during an audit carried out by the ministry of safety and security, when N$25 100 could not be accounted for. An investigation was launched, which led to the trio's arrest in 2012.

Asked about the matter, Nalisa denied knowing anything about plans to install him as caretaker chief of the traditional authority.

Create a stir

Meanwhile, there are claims that ngambela Alex Kamwi is pulling the strings underground to ensure that Nalisa is handed the instruments of power. A ngambela is an administrator of a traditional authority, but is not a member of a royal family and has no decision-making power.

Kamwi yesterday denied that there are plans to install Nalisa as caretaker chief, and that he is advancing such plans.

Traditional authority informants said Nalisa, a candidate from the Mahundu royal house, failed the vetting process at a royal family meeting at Bukalo village council on 1 January.

At that meeting, each royal house allegedly nominated a candidate - Kasika nominated James Maiba, Ngoma nominated Gilbert Muhongo Mutwa and Mahundu nominated Nalisa.

When the Mahundu royal house fingered Nalisa as their preferred candidate to take over the chieftaincy, it created a stir - but his name was submitted despite the likelihood that his conviction might adversely affect his nomination.

Traditional fights

It all started when Mutwa, one of the three people claiming to be the rightful heir to the throne of the traditional authority, lodged a court case claiming the chieftaincy has followed and follows a patrilineal succession, which makes him and his cousin Sinvula Maiba the rightful heirs.

Mutwa is the eldest son of late Masubia chief Josiah Mutwa Liswani II, who died in 1996 and was replaced by his brother Kisco Maiba Liswani III, who succumbed to Covid-19 in July 2021.

However, Nalisa and James Maiba are also claiming to be the rightful heirs.

Mutwa later withdrew his court application after reaching a settlement agreement with the respondents.

The agreement, entered into on 19 March, indicated that the Masubia traditional authority, which previously refused to sign Mutwa’s application form, would formally acknowledge his application to be designated chief of the Masubia tribe.

The three applications from the royal houses are currently with the urban and rural development ministry for evaluation, after which a determination will be made on the successful candidate.