Nuusita Ashipala
Ongwediva
The ultimatum given at a meeting by a faction of the Ondonga traditional leaders for the current adminstrators of Ondonga Traditional Authority to vacate their offices within a stipulated period, says one of the suspended Ondonga traditional leaders.
Ondonga administrators were asked at a meeting earlier this month to vacate the traditional offices at Oluno, to allow all Ondonga people to openly access the traditional offices without being subjected to security screenings and body searches before entering. The community has threatened to replace the locks on the traditional authority offices with its own locks, if the administrators fail to comply with the demands.
But, almost two weeks later no action has been taken in this regard.
One of the group leaders, suspended senior traditional councillor, John Walenga said not everything discussed at the meeting was going to be implemented.
“That is the norm at community meetings, those were just people expressing their frustrations. It is important to note we are peaceful people, we are not violent,” he asserted.
Kashona Malulu, one of the suspended traditional leaders who also attended the meeting, said the threats were emotional.
He said the emotional outburst is a reflection that there is a sour relationship between the current administrators at the traditional office and Sesilia, the wife of Ondonga chief Immanuel Kauluma Elifas.
Malulu reiterated that the tribal leadership would pursue the legal route to address the protracted tribal squabbles.
Apart from putting up their own locks, the community also threatened to stop paying traditional levies. They also resolved to force the chief’s wife to vacate the palace on the grounds that she is divisive and meddling in traditional affairs.
Malulu, however said it is not practical to remove Sesilia from the palace.
“I don’t think anyone has the right to remove the chief’s wife. It just shows that the community no longer has respect for his wife. It is democracy, people have the right to talk, but they do not have the power to do so [removing the wife from the palace],” stressed Malulu.
Walenga said the community will be informed in due course of the way forward following the High Court case that was thrown out earlier this month.
Judge Shafimana Ueitele had ruled the Ondonga Traditional Authority did not meet to authorise Walenga to launch an application on their behalf for the court to grant them access to their besieged chief.
“But they should be assured that we are going forward, there is no turning back,” said Walenga.