Nujoma enters Ondonga fray
Former president Sam Nujoma has weighed in on the Ondonga leadership infighting and has reportedly reprimanded the dismissed traditional authority's councillors for dragging King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas to court.
Nujoma visited Elifas at his Onamungudo residence on Friday morning, where the two held private talks. Nujoma's visit comes just a day after Oshakati High Court judge Maphios Cheda granted an order compelling Elifas to give oral testimony in the matter in which a group of councillors are challenging their dismissal.
On Thursday Cheda ordered that the legal teams set a date within 14 days on which the king will be required to testify. In July last year, King Elifas dismissed the traditional councillors and the fallout is still continuing.
They are former traditional authority chairperson Peter Kauluma, former secretary Joseph Asino, senior headman for the Ondangwa district John Walenga, former Oshikoto governor Vilho Kamanya, Kashona kaMalulu, Tonata Ngulu and Fillemon Nambili.
A furious Nujoma had apparently also contacted the dismissed councillors to express his disappointment. Nujoma reportedly condemned the court action by the councillors, saying it is a taboo in local culture to challenge kings.
Ondonga king spokesperson Naeman Amalwa confirmed Nujoma's visit on Friday, saying the founding president went to show solidarity with Elifas over the legal challenge.
“King Kauluma (Elifas) is chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders in Namibia and he does not deserve the treatment he is being given by the dismissed councillors and people that he has trusted and uplifted in the past. No law can prescribe to the king who to appoint or to dismiss,” said Amalwa.
Nujoma's personal aide, John Nauta, also confirmed that he was at the Ondonga palace for a routine visit “as a usual practice whenever he is in the area”.
“It is true he went to visit the Ondonga king and this is not news, but his traditional way of doing things. This is his usual practice; whenever he is in a traditional area he will visit the traditional leader of that area,” Nauta said. Nujoma was accompanied by, among others, Swapo Oshikoto coordinator Armas Amukwiyu.
Oniipa mayor Mannetjies Kambonde confirmed to Namibian Sun that Nujoma had called him using Amukwiyu's cellphone, with an order to withdraw his support for the dismissed Ondonga councillors.
“The founding president called me through Amukwiyu's cellphone ordering me to withdraw my support for the dismissed leaders,” Kambonde said. Amukwiyu, who earlier on told Namibian Sun that he will not support the decision to drag the king to court, confirmed he accompanied Nujoma to Onamungudo.
He, however, declined to comment on the visit, while he could also not confirm or deny that his cellphone was used to call certain individuals backing the dismissed councillors. Speaking on behalf of the dismissed leaders, former Oshikoto governor and senior councillor for Amuteya district, Vilho Kamanya, said they were not bothered by Nujoma's visit to the king, because it was a routine practice.
Kamanya said they were appointed at Onamungudo and that is where they ought to have been dismissed.
“If the visit was meant for us, then Nujoma knows us and who we are. Some of us have worked with him in the past before we became traditional leaders and when we were traditional leaders,” said Kamanya.
“Traditional councillors are appointed by the king and he is the one who fires them. All this has to take place at the palace and it is done procedurally. Since our dismissal, nobody heard anything from the king himself and it is our desire to hear from him in court.”
The succession war within the Ondonga kingdom has reached unprecedented levels over the months and has included name-calling and personal attacks.
The fired councillors are backing Fillemon Shuumbwa as the successor to Elifas, but their move has been strongly opposed by the royal family, led by the king's wife, Sesilia Elifas.
The rival faction supporting Shuumbwa has accused the king's wife of making decisions on behalf of the ailing monarch.
She has also been accused of sowing division in the kingdom.
ILENI NANDJATO
Nujoma visited Elifas at his Onamungudo residence on Friday morning, where the two held private talks. Nujoma's visit comes just a day after Oshakati High Court judge Maphios Cheda granted an order compelling Elifas to give oral testimony in the matter in which a group of councillors are challenging their dismissal.
On Thursday Cheda ordered that the legal teams set a date within 14 days on which the king will be required to testify. In July last year, King Elifas dismissed the traditional councillors and the fallout is still continuing.
They are former traditional authority chairperson Peter Kauluma, former secretary Joseph Asino, senior headman for the Ondangwa district John Walenga, former Oshikoto governor Vilho Kamanya, Kashona kaMalulu, Tonata Ngulu and Fillemon Nambili.
A furious Nujoma had apparently also contacted the dismissed councillors to express his disappointment. Nujoma reportedly condemned the court action by the councillors, saying it is a taboo in local culture to challenge kings.
Ondonga king spokesperson Naeman Amalwa confirmed Nujoma's visit on Friday, saying the founding president went to show solidarity with Elifas over the legal challenge.
“King Kauluma (Elifas) is chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders in Namibia and he does not deserve the treatment he is being given by the dismissed councillors and people that he has trusted and uplifted in the past. No law can prescribe to the king who to appoint or to dismiss,” said Amalwa.
Nujoma's personal aide, John Nauta, also confirmed that he was at the Ondonga palace for a routine visit “as a usual practice whenever he is in the area”.
“It is true he went to visit the Ondonga king and this is not news, but his traditional way of doing things. This is his usual practice; whenever he is in a traditional area he will visit the traditional leader of that area,” Nauta said. Nujoma was accompanied by, among others, Swapo Oshikoto coordinator Armas Amukwiyu.
Oniipa mayor Mannetjies Kambonde confirmed to Namibian Sun that Nujoma had called him using Amukwiyu's cellphone, with an order to withdraw his support for the dismissed Ondonga councillors.
“The founding president called me through Amukwiyu's cellphone ordering me to withdraw my support for the dismissed leaders,” Kambonde said. Amukwiyu, who earlier on told Namibian Sun that he will not support the decision to drag the king to court, confirmed he accompanied Nujoma to Onamungudo.
He, however, declined to comment on the visit, while he could also not confirm or deny that his cellphone was used to call certain individuals backing the dismissed councillors. Speaking on behalf of the dismissed leaders, former Oshikoto governor and senior councillor for Amuteya district, Vilho Kamanya, said they were not bothered by Nujoma's visit to the king, because it was a routine practice.
Kamanya said they were appointed at Onamungudo and that is where they ought to have been dismissed.
“If the visit was meant for us, then Nujoma knows us and who we are. Some of us have worked with him in the past before we became traditional leaders and when we were traditional leaders,” said Kamanya.
“Traditional councillors are appointed by the king and he is the one who fires them. All this has to take place at the palace and it is done procedurally. Since our dismissal, nobody heard anything from the king himself and it is our desire to hear from him in court.”
The succession war within the Ondonga kingdom has reached unprecedented levels over the months and has included name-calling and personal attacks.
The fired councillors are backing Fillemon Shuumbwa as the successor to Elifas, but their move has been strongly opposed by the royal family, led by the king's wife, Sesilia Elifas.
The rival faction supporting Shuumbwa has accused the king's wife of making decisions on behalf of the ailing monarch.
She has also been accused of sowing division in the kingdom.
ILENI NANDJATO
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