By Charles Tjatindi
Okeseta
The ongoing dispute within the Ovambanderu community took a drastic turn for the worse last weekend, prompting the Namibian police’s intervention during the Ovambanderu annual commemorations at Okeseta, about 10 km outside Gobabis.
The annual commemorations were disrupted after each of the two opposing factions of the ovambanderu community decided to hold separate programmes to commemorate the day. This, coupled with the use of loudspeakers by both groups, seemed to inflame the situation, as the groups were a mere 50 metres from one another.
In a bid to rid the commemorations of confusion arising from disturbances caused by the two programmes running concurrently, the Chief of the Ovambanderu, Munjuku Nguvauva II, sent a representative to the ‘Concerned Group’ asking them to cease their activities and join the rest of them.
Members of the ‘Concerned Group’ however refused the Chief’s request, saying they were not included on the other group’s programme. As the situation grew tense, police officers on duty called in the Namibian Police’s Regional Commander for the Omaheke Region, who mediated between the two groups.
After meeting with both the Chief and traditional councillor Erastus Tjiundikua Kahuure, it was agreed that Kahuure and his group stop activities on their side and join the other group at which the Chief was scheduled to deliver a speech.
It was also agreed that Kahuure, in his capacity as senior traditional councillor deliver a welcoming message – something that was seemingly not welcomed by the non-concerned group members.
As soon as Kahuure and other members of the ‘Concerned Group’ attempted to enter the tent under which the other programme was running as agreed in the meeting, they were refused entry. Some members of the non-concerned group even vowed to leave should the Kahuure group be permitted inside the tent.
More intense discussions between the Chief and Kahuure, and mediated by the regional police commander, followed. These discussions however failed to produce workable solutions, prompting the police to call off the commemorations for safety reasons.
The dispute between the two factions of the Ovambanderu started in 2000, after a new constitution apparently failed to recognize the positions of 11 traditional councillors, amongst them Erastus Kahuure as senior traditional councillor.
The dispute went all the way to the High Court, which ultimately ruled in favour of the expelled 11 traditional leaders. The latest events saw the Ovambanderu community from the two opposing groups drifting even further apart.