Staff Reporter
Windhoek-The Windhoek High Court has ruled in favour of the Ondonga king’s wife when it shunned efforts by the supposed Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) to have the king undergo mental observation, amongst other demands.
John Walenga on behalf of OTA had approached the court last month on an urgent basis requesting an order to have Ondonga King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas’ mental state evaluated, to have unrestricted access to the king and to stop the king’s wife, Sesilia Ndapandula Elifas, from meddling in the affairs related to the powers, duties and functions of the king and the OTA on grounds she was abusing her powers as the wife to the king for her personal interests.
“The Ondonga Traditional Authority did not meet and take a resolution to authorise senior traditional councillor John Walenga to launch an application before the court,” explained Judge Shafimana Ueitele on Monday.
According to the founding affidavit of the applicants, the OTA held a meeting on April 12, which mandated Walenga to approach the court even though at the time he and other senior traditional councillors had been suspended following allegations of insubordination and causing disunity within the OTA.
“He was never mandated to act on behalf of Ondonga Traditional Authority, this matter is thus struck from the roll with cost,” Judge Ueitele ruled. However, the judge informed the court that Walenga can still approach the court in his personal capacity and not that of the OTA.
The infighting, which stems from the succession issue, saw King Elifas denounce his supposed successor Fillemon Nangolo Shuumbwa in a letter, dated April 13, even though he had written a letter to the Ministry of Rural and Urban Development in 2002 naming Shuumbwa as his successor.
Following the denouncing of the purported successor, senior councillors namely traditional council chairperson Peter Kauluma, traditional council spokesman Joseph Asino, John Walenga, Tonata Ngulu, Kashona Malulu, Joseph Akawa, Fillemon Nambili and Vilho Kamanya were all suspended, a move seen by those affected as having been influenced by the king’s wife.