Shanghala suspends Ondonga court
ILENI NANDJATO
Justice minister Sacky Shanghala has suspended the Ondonga Traditional Authority Community Court (OTACC) and is probing its affairs.
He has also ordered traditional authority secretary Nepando Amupanda to give 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.
On 21 May, the deputy director for community courts in the ministry of justice, Amalia Nathaniel, informed the factions that Shanghala would like to have a meeting with them on 24 May at Ondangwa.
The majority of Ondonga community court members are councillors who were dismissed by King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas in July last year.
“Kindly be informed that Minister Shanghala wishes to pay a curtsey visit to Tatekulu Omukwaniilwa (King) Elifas Kauluma on 24 May. The minister also envisages holding a meeting in order to engage yourself and Josef Simaneka Asino at 10pm at a local hotel in Ondangwa in relation to the ongoing wrangling in the OTA.
“Kindly ensure that you are represented by a maximum of four persons who are either justices or assessors reflected in the Government Gazette or those proposed to be reflected in a new publication of the Government Gazette,” read Nathaniel’s letter.
It is further reported that Shanghala however held the meeting at 10:00 in the morning.
After the meeting he 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.
“Having visited the OTA offices on Thursday, 24 May, it is my instruction and directive that the following occur: On Monday 28 May, a thorough investigation be conducted by the division of community courts of the justice ministry led by deputy director Amalia Nathanael, assisted by the community courts clerk. All activities of the OTACC are suspended until my further notice to you and in the public,” the letter said.
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.
“If by or on 11:00 on Wednesday (tomorrow) I do not receive written confirmation that the justices and assessors reflected in the Government Gazette and authorised to conduct the OTACC, will be granted free and unimpaired access to the facilities from which the OTACC used to operate from the OTA offices at Ondangwa, then I shall determine where and when the OTACC shall resume operation.”
Approached for comment, Amupanda confirmed he was invited to the meeting with Shanghala and did not attend it.
“I did not attend the meeting because in the invitation it said 10:00pm, but the meeting was conducted in the morning. I was ready to go to the meeting at 10:00pm as per the invitation. I also do not understand why Shanghala had to host a meeting with me and dismissed leaders, while there is a pending court case. Is that not contempt of the court?” fumed Nepando.
He added that in the past he refused to allow the dismissed leaders access to community court properties because he was not instructed to do so.
“Now that Shanghala was here on Thursday and he took the community court recording device, I will allow them to access their properties. I am not gazetted and I have no right to community court properties, but since they are in the OTA offices, where I am appointed by the king to administer, I will not allow them,” he said.
Shanghala said that OTACC has facilities and properties worth N$400 000.
Justice minister Sacky Shanghala has suspended the Ondonga Traditional Authority Community Court (OTACC) and is probing its affairs.
He has also ordered traditional authority secretary Nepando Amupanda to give 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.
On 21 May, the deputy director for community courts in the ministry of justice, Amalia Nathaniel, informed the factions that Shanghala would like to have a meeting with them on 24 May at Ondangwa.
The majority of Ondonga community court members are councillors who were dismissed by King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas in July last year.
“Kindly be informed that Minister Shanghala wishes to pay a curtsey visit to Tatekulu Omukwaniilwa (King) Elifas Kauluma on 24 May. The minister also envisages holding a meeting in order to engage yourself and Josef Simaneka Asino at 10pm at a local hotel in Ondangwa in relation to the ongoing wrangling in the OTA.
“Kindly ensure that you are represented by a maximum of four persons who are either justices or assessors reflected in the Government Gazette or those proposed to be reflected in a new publication of the Government Gazette,” read Nathaniel’s letter.
It is further reported that Shanghala however held the meeting at 10:00 in the morning.
After the meeting he 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.
“Having visited the OTA offices on Thursday, 24 May, it is my instruction and directive that the following occur: On Monday 28 May, a thorough investigation be conducted by the division of community courts of the justice ministry led by deputy director Amalia Nathanael, assisted by the community courts clerk. All activities of the OTACC are suspended until my further notice to you and in the public,” the letter said.
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.
“If by or on 11:00 on Wednesday (tomorrow) I do not receive written confirmation that the justices and assessors reflected in the Government Gazette and authorised to conduct the OTACC, will be granted free and unimpaired access to the facilities from which the OTACC used to operate from the OTA offices at Ondangwa, then I shall determine where and when the OTACC shall resume operation.”
Approached for comment, Amupanda confirmed he was invited to the meeting with Shanghala and did not attend it.
“I did not attend the meeting because in the invitation it said 10:00pm, but the meeting was conducted in the morning. I was ready to go to the meeting at 10:00pm as per the invitation. I also do not understand why Shanghala had to host a meeting with me and dismissed leaders, while there is a pending court case. Is that not contempt of the court?” fumed Nepando.
He added that in the past he refused to allow the dismissed leaders access to community court properties because he was not instructed to do so.
“Now that Shanghala was here on Thursday and he took the community court recording device, I will allow them to access their properties. I am not gazetted and I have no right to community court properties, but since they are in the OTA offices, where I am appointed by the king to administer, I will not allow them,” he said.
Shanghala said that OTACC has facilities and properties worth N$400 000.
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