Ondonga Oluno office in lockdown
Following threats by members of the community that they would remove Ondonga traditional leaders from the Oluno office, the police's Special Reserve Force was deployed to protect the building.
The newly appointed senior councillor for the Amuteya district under the Ondonga Traditional Authority, Jerry Kambala, yesterday accused members of the media of instigating the current conflict in the authority.
Kambala made the accusation when enquiries were made to him following the commotion which resulted in the authority's offices at Oluno, Ondangwa, temporarily closing. It is alleged members of the public yesterday said they would enter the offices of the authority and remove the current leadership.
According to Kambala, members of the media keep entertaining the sacked authority's leaders. He said the authority has ordered fired leaders to stop talking to the media or holding public meetings.
“You know for a fact these people were fired by the king and we presented you with their dismissal letters. We do not know why you keep listening to them. The king has not permitted these members to talk to his people, but you media always entertain them,” Kambala said.
“Some of you are even spreading rumours that all the old councillors were fired which is not true. We still have old councillors who are part of the current leadership. Please start telling the truth,” he said.
Kambala refused to answer questions saying he is only an administrator in the office. About two months ago, the authority sent a letter to the fired leaders prohibiting them from holding public meetings or talking to the media.
A group consisting of about 100 members of the Ondonga, mostly headmen led by a certain Pendapala Nakathingo, organised itself to reclaim the authoirty's offices from the current leadership saying that they hold no confidence in them. However, the group was ordered to leave by members of the police's Special Reserve Force which was out in full gear.
“All we want is our Ondonga office back from those who took it by force. These people are illegally in the office and we want our office back. We can only do it ourselves since nobody will do it for us,” Nakathingo said.
The office continued with its daily operation under a heavy police guard.
After the group was dissolved, it went on to hold a meeting at former councillor John Walenga's house where headmen were urged not to allow their community members to pay homestead administration fees of N$20, business fees that vary from N$100 to N$150, as well as farming fees of N$3 000 until the dispute was resolved.
The ailing king, Immanuel Kauluma Elifas in July this year, ordered the expulsion of seven of the eight traditional councillors who were suspended in April and since then, there has been chaos in the authority.
ILENI NANDJATO
Kambala made the accusation when enquiries were made to him following the commotion which resulted in the authority's offices at Oluno, Ondangwa, temporarily closing. It is alleged members of the public yesterday said they would enter the offices of the authority and remove the current leadership.
According to Kambala, members of the media keep entertaining the sacked authority's leaders. He said the authority has ordered fired leaders to stop talking to the media or holding public meetings.
“You know for a fact these people were fired by the king and we presented you with their dismissal letters. We do not know why you keep listening to them. The king has not permitted these members to talk to his people, but you media always entertain them,” Kambala said.
“Some of you are even spreading rumours that all the old councillors were fired which is not true. We still have old councillors who are part of the current leadership. Please start telling the truth,” he said.
Kambala refused to answer questions saying he is only an administrator in the office. About two months ago, the authority sent a letter to the fired leaders prohibiting them from holding public meetings or talking to the media.
A group consisting of about 100 members of the Ondonga, mostly headmen led by a certain Pendapala Nakathingo, organised itself to reclaim the authoirty's offices from the current leadership saying that they hold no confidence in them. However, the group was ordered to leave by members of the police's Special Reserve Force which was out in full gear.
“All we want is our Ondonga office back from those who took it by force. These people are illegally in the office and we want our office back. We can only do it ourselves since nobody will do it for us,” Nakathingo said.
The office continued with its daily operation under a heavy police guard.
After the group was dissolved, it went on to hold a meeting at former councillor John Walenga's house where headmen were urged not to allow their community members to pay homestead administration fees of N$20, business fees that vary from N$100 to N$150, as well as farming fees of N$3 000 until the dispute was resolved.
The ailing king, Immanuel Kauluma Elifas in July this year, ordered the expulsion of seven of the eight traditional councillors who were suspended in April and since then, there has been chaos in the authority.
ILENI NANDJATO
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