Ondonga rebellion deepens

The Ondonga community has been hit by a new rebellion within its ranks, with eight councillors deserting the traditional authority in support of the seven councillors dismissed by King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas in July last year.The traditional authority consists of 21 gazetted councillors - 11 senior and 10 ordinary councillors - but according to secretary Nepando Amupanda the authority currently only has six gazetted councillors, after eight decided to desert it, as a sign of sympathy with their dismissed comrades.Amupanda said he reported the eight councillors to King Elifas, after they decided to align themselves with the dismissed group.“After the king dismissed seven of his gazetted councillors, we were left with 14 councillors. Eight of the 14 decided to desert the authority to sympathise with the others. They do not have a case with the king, however, they only disappeared from us,” Amupanda said.He added he is not bothered by the deserters, as he is only taking care of the authority's offices, as he was duly appointed by the king to do.“We are here representing the king, who appointed us. In fact we were not working together with those people; we are all new in the office. We are not a faction, but we are the main body recognised by the king,” he said.The officially gazetted senior Ondonga councillors are Wibard Lindker for Uukwanambwa, Josef Akawa for Omulondo, Josef Asino for Oniiwe, Naemani Amalwa for Oniimwandi, Anneli Sakaria Mbumba and Kamati Mushaandja for Epale, Secilia Namene for Oshuushe, John Walenga for Ondangwa, Johannes Shondili Amutenya for Onalusheshete, Kamanya for Amuteya and Peter Kauluma for Ongula yaNetanga.The ordinary councillors are Fillemon Nambili for Uukwanambwa, Kodhi Amoomo for Omulondo, Kleopas Iindongo for Oniiwe, Jeremia Nashandi for Oniimwandi, Tonata Ngulu for Epale, Neema Iindongo for Oshuushe, Tomas Nakanyala for Ondangwa, Kashona Malulu for Onalusheshete, Esra Naikaku for Amuteya and Petrina Armas for Ongula yaNetanga.In July last year King Elifas expelled traditional authority chairperson Peter Kauluma and secretary Asino, Walenga, Kamanya, Malulu, Ngulu and Nambili.Businessmen Erastus Mvula and Paavo Amweele replaced Walenga as the senior headmen responsible for the Ondangwa district, while Rainhold Nepolo was named to replace Asino in the Oniiwe district.Naeman Kambala took over from Kamanya in the Amuteya district, while Amupanda took over from Peter Kauluma in the Ongula yaNetanga district. The replacements are not yet gazetted and have not assumed any authority roles.According to Amupanda, only Amalwa, Amutenya, Akawa, Namene, Iindongo and Kodhi remain with the traditional authority, after the others deserted it.The infighting within the traditional authority is linked to the succession battle for the Ondonga kingdom. The dismissed councillors are backing Shuumbwa Nangolo, who was nominated by the Ondonga king as his heir apparent in September 2012.It emerged earlier this week that justice minister Sacky Shanghala has suspended the Ondonga Traditional Authority Community Court (OTACC) and is probing its affairs.He has also ordered Amupanda to give the dismissed councillors access to community court property. The dismissed councillors are currently operating from Onethindi as OTACC justices and assessors.This comes after a meeting Shanghala was supposed to have held with two Ondonga factions ended up only being attended by one faction, after a grouping led by Amupanda was informed the meeting would take place last Thursday night.It was, however, held in the morning.After the meeting Shanghala went to the traditional authority offices at Oluno, where he met with Amupanda.After his visit, Shanghala wrote a letter on the same day informing the two factions that the community court operations have been suspended and the ministry is investigating its affairs.Shanghala further stressed that due to Ondonga infighting the community is confused and the workload at the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court has increased as a result of the cessation of activities by the OTACC. He said if the traditional authority is no longer interested in the community court, then he is prepared to publish a notice in the Government Gazette revoking its existence.ILENI NANDJATO

Ondonga rebellion deepens

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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Ondonga rebellion deepens

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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