First and foremost, I, Prince Gilbert Muhongo Mutwa Moraliswani, did not launch a personal attack on a[ny] specific individuals within the Bukalo Royal Establishment or the Zambezi Regional Council or Local Authority but I merely stated facts regarding the proclamation of the Masubia Royal Establishment at Bukalo as a settlement.
With regard to the decision by the Masubia Royal Authority in support of the Bukalo Village Council, this came as a complete disrespect and utter disregard for the good and preserved image of the Masubia community in its entirety.
In addition, their administrative reign is no longer enforceable and valid and they might as well apply for positions within the village council.
I am a big proponent of urbanisation and therefore I support development. However, urban structures must be placed in the right settlements and Bukalo, as a traditional headquarters, does not meet such criteria because it is the seat of the Masubia Royal Establishment.
Evidently, our traditional leaders are no longer with us and the royal establishment needs reform so that we can restore our cultural umbrella.
We have lost our trust in our traditional leaders, as a community, and please let me reiterate that we are not anti-development, but, should development come in our traditional headquarters it must do so with due respect to the already established traditional administrative authority and not a municipal set up.
The Chief and the Ngambela have done a great disservice to the Masubia community and therefore they no longer enjoy our support.
On the basis of this poor decision-making and entrepreneurial and self-enrichment, I suggest the Natamoyo take over this royal administration in the interim. We do not want entrepreneurial traditional leadership but rather true leadership where the Khuta has the entire Masubia community’s interests at heart.
Again, I am pleading with government to revise this poor judgment. They should look at the letters we addressed to the outgoing President, and to the President-elect, in his current capacity as Prime Minister, to consider deregistering Bukalo as a village council.
The Masubia Traditional Authority is incapacitated; evidently, they cannot make sound decisions that are of communal benefit and these decisions are detrimental to our cultural heritage.
I am talking with the authority vested in me by my birth right as the Prince of the Masubia people, by my father his Royal Highness the late Chief Joshua Maiba Moraliswani, who would not have condoned the current shenanigans.
With all due respect, with reference to people that do not seem to know what they are talking about, how on earth do you make a comparison between the centuries-old, well-defined administrative government of the Roman Empire (Rome), that of the Queen (England) and the Masubia’s Bukalo Royal Establishment? On what basis and criteria was that comparison made?
For instance, the administration of the land in England is mandated to the landlords on behalf of the Queen, whereas here in Namibia or rather in Zambezi Region in particular, the chiefs are the custodians of all the communal land.
With reference to the Ngambela, I will not dwell much on your defamatory accusations due to the fact you are a newcomer in the system but I shall not entertain your ignorance and absurd rhetoric.
In addition, I feel it is my prerogative to inform the Masubia community and the nation at large, that the current Masubia traditional regime has done nothing for the benefit of the Masubia tribe.
Our fallen forefathers laid the foundation for our traditional council but this shambolic regime has failed to even erect tombstones to honour our forefathers, namely the likes of Munitenge Joshua Mutwa Moraliswani II, Munitenge Sinvula Moraliswani I, who is laid to rest at Mahundu village. Also, Ngambela Sinvula, Natamoyo Ntonda.
The current Khuta lost the community’s trust in their mandate of the day they deliberately forfeited the protection of the interests of the Masubia cultural heritage.
The current Khuta could derail the potent structure of the Masubia kingdom as laid down by my late father and his fathers before him.
We embrace development at all levels of civil government structures, but surely not in this manner, there ought to be a boundary between civil projects for economic prosperity and traditional projects for indigenous communal benefit and continuity.
In this way, we preserve, honour and respect our culture without dilution. If its development we want as a people, let us do so by empowering traditional governance and not having a parallel structure competing with the authority of the Khuta. We do not accept a village council in an area that is the seat of our Khuta, as this could bring conflict and dilute the powers of our chief.
During lengthy deliberations held in Windhoek, the Lunchindo Fund was launched last year designated for the Masubia communal projects for economic prosperity of all Masubia.
I am hereby requesting all stakeholders to support this initiative as the first step towards empowering all our kinsmen and kinswomen.
For all stakeholders who would like more information regarding the Lunchindo Communal Fund they are free to contact either one George Muhongo or Bernard Mwampole on the following mobile numbers: 0812441491/ 0812831652.
*Prince Gilbert Muhongo Mutwa Moraliswani is the first-born son of the late Masubia Chief Joshua Mutwa Moraliswani and writes this letter as a member of the royal family.