Ondonga frustrates chief /Gâseb

The Ondonga Traditional Authority is seemingly playing a 'hide and seek' game with the deputy chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders in Namibia, chief Immanuel /Gâseb, who for many months now have been trying to get an audience with the ailing King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas, but to no avail.

/Gâseb said the recent traditional leaders' meeting in Rundu was yet again organised without the input of Elifas, who is the long-serving council's chairperson. /Gâseb told Namibian Sun he has been denied contact with Elifas several times. /Gâseb said as the deputy chairperson he would travel every year to Onamungundo to consult King Elifas as the chair.

“This makes the managing of the council difficult for me,” said /Gâseb.

“Since it was reported that Elifas fired the authority's chairperson Peter Kauluma and the secretary Joseph Asino, my role at the council became tough.”

/Gâseb said he usually consults with Asino, Kauluma as well as the disputed heir apparent of the Ondonga kingdom Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo.

“They have better understanding of the traditional authority's affairs, but due to the current events, there is no way I can get hold of the king,” he said. /Gâseb said he was advised by urban and rural development minister Sophia Shaningwa not to travel to the north to consult Elifas because of the infighting in the Ondonga Traditional Authority, which has led to the expulsion of several councillors. Shaningwa's ministry is the custodian of traditional authority affairs.

“Then, when I got an invitation by Uukwambi Chief Herman Iipumbu to attend the annual Omagongo Cultural Festival I called the Ondonga palace to make an appointment with my chairperson so that I can consult him on the affairs of the traditional council. His wife answered the phone and told me that he was at the cattle post and there was no chance I could see him, unless I leave a message,” /Gâseb said. He added that during the festival he met Elifas' wife who told him again that the King was at the cattle post.

“Later, however, I was informed that Elifas was in attendance and was hidden in one of the rooms in Chief Iipumbu's palace. This annoyed me. I do not know why people have to hide the king from me.

“Every year I met and always brief him on the council's operations of the past year and consult him on the planned activities of that year together with his council.

“By then I had confidential documents of the council and I cannot give them to his wife,” he said.

Approached for comment, Elifas' spokesperson Naeman Amalwa said the king's wife denied ever meeting with /Gâseb at the Omagongo festival. She also denied talking to /Gâseb over the phone. The traditional authority has over the past months denied that Kauluma was in poor health.



Nangolo represents Elifas

Meanwhile, /Gâseb has confirmed that Elifas was represented at the recent meeting by Nangolo, while the traditional authority was represented by senior councillor for Onalusheshete district, Eino Shondili Amutenya.

He said the majority of the authority's councillors, including the new secretary Nepando Amupanda, are not gazetted which disqualified them from attending the meeting.

“Nangolo can attend our meeting because he has been attending them in the past representing the king.

Our office still recognises Nangolo as the Ondonga king's successor and representative because no official correspondence was communicated to us that he was withdrawn,” he said. Nangolo also confirmed his attendance to Namibian Sun.

In July this year, Elifas ordered the expulsion of seven of the eight traditional councillors who were suspended in April, including Kauluma, Asino, heavyweights such as senior headman John Walenga, former Oshikoto governor Vilho Kamanya Kashona kaMalulu, Tonata Ngulu and Fillemon Nambili.

They were fired because they backed Nangolo as successor to Elifas, but their move was said to be opposed by the royal family led by the king's wife.

ILENI NANDJATO