Headman in hot water

The Oukwanyama Traditional Authority has ordered its Onamutayi district senior headman, Amon Shipanga, to reinstate suspended Oneleiwa village headman, Silas Ndakolonghoshi, because he also benefited from the unethical practices that got his counterpart suspended.Last year Shipanga suspended Ndakolonghoshi following a dubious deal with businessman Tobias Kuutumbeni, which allegedly saw him selling a community earthen dam and the surrounding Ohakweenyanga village land to the business magnate.Kuutumbeni has since established an irrigation project on the land.Ndakolonghoshi appealed his suspension, claiming he doesn't understand why he was suspended by Shipanga, who also benefited from the deal.Traditional authority chairperson George Nelulu told Namibian Sun that after reviewing Ndakolonghoshi's appeal they found his suspension was invalid.“We received Ndakolonghoshi's appeal and we enquired from Shipanga why he suspended him. He told us it is because he sold a community earthen dam that is not in his village. We therefore advised Shipanga to reinstate Ndakolonghoshi, because he (Shipanga) also benefited from the same deal,” Nelulu said.“Ndakolonghoshi is not the only one who benefited from this deal. The businessman also paid N$5 000 to Shipanga and excavated an earthen dam for him at his homestead at Onamutayi, and he also paid N$11 000 to Ohakweenyanga village headman Daniel Kayili. He must just reinstate him, while we are investigating.”Nelulu added he is aware that Shipanga is resistant to reinstating Ndakolonghoshi, and they have appointed a committee to advise him.Shipanga refused to comment.A letter seen by Namibian Sun, which was sent to the traditional authority by Ndakolonghoshi, claimed that after receiving N$22 000 from Kuutumbeni, he gave N$2 000 to Shipanga and he accepted that Kuutumbeni would establish the project.Kuutumbeni then turned the community earthen dam into his private property, thereby denying local livestock access to water.“I am suspended apparently until I give Kayili the N$11 000 I received from Kuutumbeni and I must also force him to remove his yard (at the earthen dam). If Kayili has received his N$11 000 and I have also received N$11 000 from Kuutumbeni, and I have also given N$2 000 of my money to Shipanga, why should I be the one suspended here?” Ndakolonghoshi questioned in his letter. Kayili defended the payment given to him, saying Shipanga paid the N$11 000 he received from Kuutumbeni as punishment for occupying the land illegally.“As part of Kuutumbeni's punishment for occupying the land illegally we asked him to pay N$11 000. He was also asked to pay N$5 000 to Shipanga as punishment for buying the land from Ndinelago Mockachwa, just like others who bought land without the traditional leader's consent, for them to be issued with the leasehold right for their land,” Kayili said.ILENI NANDJATO

Headman in hot water

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-18

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Headman in hot water

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-18

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