Court interdicts Ondonga king

Six dismissed leaders of the Ondonga Traditional Authority on Friday successfully obtained an Oshakati High Court interdict against the appointment of five new leaders to replace them, who were to have been installed between Saturday and 1 December.The fired councillors are also considering approaching the court after Naeman Kambala, one of the leaders in line to replace them, hosted a traditional gathering at Onyuulaye in the Oshikoto Region on Saturday.They say the gathering was held in contempt of the court interdict, and said they will be approaching their legal representative Elize Angula to ask the court to declare it so.Last week, the traditional authority, which resides under king Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, announced it will officially install five new senior traditional councillors between 3 November and 1 December.The new appointments were set to replace Vilho Kamanya (Amuteya district), John Walenga (Ondangwa district), Peter Kauluma (Ongula yaNetanga district), Joseph Asino (Oniiwe district), Kashona kaMalulu, Tonata Ngulu and Fillemon Nambili, who were dismissed last year for alleged gross misconduct.They are currently challenging their dismissal in the high court, and it was against this background that they lodged an application for an urgent interdict on Friday.The king has indicated he wants to appoint Kambala (Amuteya district), Paavo Amwele (Ondangwa B district), Erastus Mvula (Ondangwa A district), Nepando Amupanda (Ongula yaNetanga district) and Reinhold Nepolo (Oniiwe district) to replace them.On Friday, High Court judge Justice Tommasi granted an interdict that halt the inauguration and installation of new traditional leaders, pending the finalisation of the main case that is already before the court.Tommasi also ordered the new proposed leaders and the king to pay the legal costs of the interdict application.The dismissed leaders were represented by Saima Nambinga of the AngulaCo. Incorporate, while the new proposed leaders and King Elifas were represented by John Kandara of Shikongo Law Chambers.Kambala, who was due to be installed on Saturday, wrote a letter to AngulaCo. Incorporated through Kandara, saying he would be hosting a cultural gathering for friends, family, invited guests and any members of the community at Onyuulaye, where the installation was due to have taken place.“We are instructed, furthermore, to inform your clients that the aforementioned gathering will in no way be an event aimed at the installation or inauguration of our client as a senior traditional councillor or any other person to any traditional leadership tittle or role under the auspices of the Ondonga Traditional Authority,” Kandara's letter said.AngulaCo. in their response said an inauguration of a traditional leader is a cultural gathering or event and they have recorded that Kambala acted in contempt of the court order which interdicted him from continuing with the inauguration.“Your client cannot change the inauguration by simply calling it a gathering, because the inauguration interdicted by the court is a gathering of the traditional community.“We are instructed to specifically record that a cultural gathering can only be held in terms of custom and tradition and only if specifically authorised; furthermore, your client cannot hold a cultural gathering without the consent of a traditional leader of that district.”ILENI NANDJATO

Court interdicts Ondonga king

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-17

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Court interdicts Ondonga king

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-17

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