Snyfontein residents vent fury at leader

BERSEBA NAMPA A group of Snyfontein inhabitants are furious with their traditional authority councillor Cedric Thomas, accusing him of ignoring their plight and denying them the right to openly express their dissatisfaction. In an interview with Nampa at Berseba recently, the spokesperson of the 52-member group Jan Kopper said they feel that councillor Thomas has an 'autocratic' leadership style as he does not listen to anything they say. Thomas is the senior councillor of the /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority assigned to Snyfontein, a village situated some 60km west of Keetmanshoop in Karas Region. He allegedly instructed some community members not to support an initiative which was created to raise funds for the establishment of a new water point in Snyfontein, simply because the fund-raiser was organised by Kopper. As such, the idea of a fundraising event which was supposed to take place in Snyfontein last month, never came to fruition. Kopper further claimed that when the group expressed their dissatisfaction about the way Thomas handled the registration of beneficiaries for the Namibian-German Special Initiative's goat programme, he again simply ignored them. He said in that particular instance, the traditional councillor selected his friends and other people who are close to him so that they could benefit from that programme, sidelining all the other people. This happened in November last year, and it was at that time when we raised the complaints. When we approached him, he told us that he is busy with more important things, and that we should get out of the /Hai-/Khaua. I also approached /Hai-/Khaua Chief Johannes Isaak with our complaints, but he never responded, the group's spokesperson said. The group also said they are in the dark when it comes to the issue of land rights' registration as they often see people obtaining land without them being informed. Thomas apparently sent threatening text messages to some community members recently, telling them that they will get pressure from the authority if they misbehave. The group, which previously fell under the /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority of Berseba, deserted the authority and joined a splinter group called Goliath, which is led by a certain Chief Johannes Fleermuys. We went to Goliath because we feel that staying with the /Hai-/Khaua is worth nothing as we have no democracy there, charged Kopper. Approached for comment on Monday, Isaak said he had told Kopper to speak to Thomas in a respectful manner so that they could solve their problems. He is still welcome to come back to me for advice. I advised him to find the right platform to address the complaints, and not just to put up a fight. He wants to be a councillor too, that's why he is fighting with Thomas. But that will not work, he must wait for his turn, said Isaak. Kopper, however, said Chief Isaak also does not listen to the group's complaints, but only to Thomas. Thomas denied all the allegations made against him, saying he has done everything through the right and legal procedures. He is making allegations against me, and I am busy preparing to take legal action against him so that he can prove such allegations in a court of law, Thomas stressed.