!Oë ‡Gân-members to boycott festival
A group of the !Oë ‡Gân traditional community, at a meeting held on Sunday, resolved to boycott the annual traditional festival that will take place at Okombahe this weekend and will stage a peaceful protest at the event.
The group made this decision after chief Immanuel /Gáseb declined an invitation by senior traditional councillors to attend a meeting held at the village from 22 to 24 April.
“Enough is enough of the stubborn attitude of chief /Gáseb. He cannot label us as UDF [United Democratic Front] members every time we have an issue with him. Some of us are loyal Swapo supporters,” the group said in a press statement.
The standoff between chief /Gáseb and community members emanates from allegations traded over the years about the manner in which resources and resettlement farms are being utilised. It is also alleged that the chief is neglecting traditional matters and refuses to meet with his subjects.
/Gáseb is also accused of resettling “rich friends and family” on the former hunting farm #Goabeb farm which the government bought for N$9,9 million and allocated to the traditional authority.
The group planning the demonstration over the coming weekend said it is tired of /Gáseb’s “dictatorial leadership style,” the way the resettlement farm which they say should belong to the !Oë ‡Gân community is being used, and allegations of unaccounted for trust funds and financial reports.
The meeting on Sunday also alleged that, the community experiences problems with grazing due to the poor rainfall across the country.
“Our cattle are dying due to drought, our families are suffering. Where is our so-called leader?” they questioned.
They demanded chief /Gáseb to go to Okombahe to meet with them face-to-face, arguing that he cannot hold a cultural festival in their name.
They also asked the government not to hand over a cultural village to /Gáseb at the festival and to also cancel its inauguration.
Chief /Gáseb had earlier said he would not attend the 22 to 24 April meeting but was prepared to have a meeting with the community after the festival.
He has denied all allegations of financial wrongdoing or wrongful use of the resettlement farm.
/Gáseb said the protestors are a group of disgruntled traditional councillors who want to avert his recent threatened nation-wide publication of audits of the authority’s financial records.
Catherine Sasman
The group made this decision after chief Immanuel /Gáseb declined an invitation by senior traditional councillors to attend a meeting held at the village from 22 to 24 April.
“Enough is enough of the stubborn attitude of chief /Gáseb. He cannot label us as UDF [United Democratic Front] members every time we have an issue with him. Some of us are loyal Swapo supporters,” the group said in a press statement.
The standoff between chief /Gáseb and community members emanates from allegations traded over the years about the manner in which resources and resettlement farms are being utilised. It is also alleged that the chief is neglecting traditional matters and refuses to meet with his subjects.
/Gáseb is also accused of resettling “rich friends and family” on the former hunting farm #Goabeb farm which the government bought for N$9,9 million and allocated to the traditional authority.
The group planning the demonstration over the coming weekend said it is tired of /Gáseb’s “dictatorial leadership style,” the way the resettlement farm which they say should belong to the !Oë ‡Gân community is being used, and allegations of unaccounted for trust funds and financial reports.
The meeting on Sunday also alleged that, the community experiences problems with grazing due to the poor rainfall across the country.
“Our cattle are dying due to drought, our families are suffering. Where is our so-called leader?” they questioned.
They demanded chief /Gáseb to go to Okombahe to meet with them face-to-face, arguing that he cannot hold a cultural festival in their name.
They also asked the government not to hand over a cultural village to /Gáseb at the festival and to also cancel its inauguration.
Chief /Gáseb had earlier said he would not attend the 22 to 24 April meeting but was prepared to have a meeting with the community after the festival.
He has denied all allegations of financial wrongdoing or wrongful use of the resettlement farm.
/Gáseb said the protestors are a group of disgruntled traditional councillors who want to avert his recent threatened nation-wide publication of audits of the authority’s financial records.
Catherine Sasman
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