Headmen frustrated with Home Affairs officials

OUTAPIPLACIDO HILUKILWA

Lack of proper collaboration between traditional leaders and Home Affairs officials has led to a situation where many Namibians in the regions bordering Angola are denied identity documents and labelled as foreigners.
During their first meeting with Regional and Local Government Minister Charles Namoloh at Outapi last weekend, traditional leaders expressed their frustration with the ministry's officials who allegedly refuse to issue national documents to some local people.
This is said to occur mostly in the tribal areas bordering Angola such as Ombalantu, Ombadja and Oukwanyama.
"Village headmen know their people, but Home Affairs officials refuse to issue documents, even when a village headman testifies that the person is indeed a Namibian national," said Chief Oswin Mukulu, the head of the Ombalantu Traditional Authority.
"Such attitudes are an infringement on our dignity as traditional leaders. We are law-abiding citizens and cannot give false testimony. Whenever a village headman testifies that someone is a Namibian national then he or she is indeed a Namibian national," Mukulu said.
Namoloh, who is himself a village headman in the Ohangwena Region, said he had had a similar experience where people looking for national documents are chased away and labelled "Angolans".
Namoloh's meeting with traditional leaders at Outapi was attended by representatives of Uukwambi, Ongandjera, Uukwaluudhi, Otjikaoko, Uukolonkadhi, Ombalantu and Ombadja.
Kings and chiefs used the opportunity to congratulate Namoloh on his new ministerial portfolio, as well as to inform him about challenges they are facing. They also proposed solutions to some pressing issues.
King Hosea Shikongo Taapopi of Uukwaluudhi complained about the slow development in the Tsandi settlement. "People are asking us tough questions as to why Tsandi is lagging behind in comparison with other settlements," he said.
He also proposed that Omugulugwombashe, the site where the first battle between South African troops and Swapo guerrillas took place in 1966, be developed and transformed into a shrine and a burial place for war veterans.
Chief Mathias Walaula of Ombadja urged the government to put measures in place to save water during the rainy season. "That is too bad that we have abundant water during the rainy season, but no water at all during the dry season," he said.
He further complained about some government officials allegedly disregarding the authority of traditional leaders, mostly with regard to land ownership. "They come here and start demarcating land arbitrarily without consulting residents or the village headmen," he said.
About the issue of crime, Walaula said poverty is leading some young people to commit crime deliberately so that they could be arrested and to go to prison where they would eat like kings.
Traditional leaders are also proposing that government involve them in the distribution of drought relief, because they are the ones who know the families that are in urgent need of food.
The minister was also asked to pay attention to the headmen's welfare. "We work really hard in our respective communities, but some of us cannot even afford a soap bar. And those who are lucky to be on government's payroll are not getting enough either."
In his response, Namoloh generally agreed with the traditional leaders and promised to look into their complaints and discuss their proposals with his Cabinet colleagues.