OvaHerero anger

Top government officials and retired Head of State Hifikepunye Pohamba will not be in attendance this weekend when the OvaHerero Traditional Authority inaugurates Vekuii Rukoro as paramount chief. Urban and Rural Development Sophia Shaningwa and Otjozondjupa Regional Governor Otto Iipinge, as well as Pohamba, all appear on the official programme for the inauguration that is scheduled to take place in Okahandja on Saturday. The personal assistant to Pohamba, Matthew Andreas, said he is not aware of invitation from the OvaHerero Traditional Authority. “Perhaps they sent it through the Office of the President,” he said. Shaningwa admitted that she has been invited by the spokesperson of the OvaHerero Traditional Council, Jonathan Katjimune, but said she cannot go against her own government’s stance. In February, Shaningwa’s predecessor Charles Namoloh rejected Rukoro’s application for recognition as paramount chief. Namoloh told journalists at the time that he turned down Rukoro’s application because it sought to expand the new traditional leader’s area of jurisdiction. Shaningwa said yesterday: “Three OvaHerero royal houses are not in agreement with advocate Vekuii Rukoro being paramount chief of all the OvaHerero people in the country. “They do not have a problem if he is keeping his chieftaincy in the area of his jurisdiction which is Aminius,” said Shaningwa. She added that the objection from the three OvaHerero royal houses has been forwarded to Rukoro’s office. Katjimune has accused government of discrimination after hearing yesterday that its representatives would not be attending the inauguration. Shaningwa said she had not been delegated by President Hage Geingob to officiate at the event, as claimed by the programme. Katjimune insisted that his office extended an invitation to Geingob’s office, but was apparently told that he would be represented by Shaningwa. Iipinge made it emphatically clear that he has “no clue” about this weekend’s installation ceremony. “Do not ask me those things. I have no clue. I have other commitments already,” he said. Katjimune said they will go ahead with inaugurating Rukoro, even without the blessing of the government of the day. “This is just politics. The OvaHerero people have declared their chiefs paramount chiefs since 1867. “Why are they (the government) interfering with our chief? As we are talking there are some people who are called kings and queens, but nobody is disrupting them,” said Katjimune. Rukoro succeeded OvaHerero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako, who died in Windhoek last year June. Shortly after this election, Rukoro indicated he wanted to extend his jurisdiction beyond the perimeters of Aminius. The Traditional Authority Act of 2000 states that a traditional authority shall in the exercise of its powers and the execution of duties and functions have jurisdiction over the members of the traditional community in respect of which it has been established. In February, Namoloh said Rukoro would be recognised as chief of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority if he reapplied, with his area of jurisdiction being Aminuis. WINDHOEK JEMIMA BEUKES