WINDHOEK- The newly appointed Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) Paramount Chief, Advocate Vekuii Rukoro, has reaffirmed that the OTA under his leadership will continue to work closely with the Namibian government.
Speaking recently at the fully packed Ovaherero Commando 2 where over 100 Ovaherero came to welcome him after his enthronement as Paramount Chief, he said: “To the independent Namibian government, I as the leader of this community am ready to work closely with this government to maintain the peace and stability we have enjoyed for the last decades.”
“I am ready to work hand-in-hand with government in maintaining peace and development in this country,” he told the enthusiastic crowd.
Rukoro said he was ready to strengthen the current relationship with government and to take it to greater heights. “I am ready to be your servant,” he stressed.
Rukoro further assured the crowd who gathered that talks with the German government on reparations would continue. He used the opportunity to send the message to the German Government that his community is ready to negotiate and discuss the protracted issue in a peaceful manner.
“We are ready to discuss this with the Germans in a peaceful, transparent manner,” said Rukoro.
“I can promise you today the longer they (Germans) make us to wait the more money they will have to pay,” he added. He said his community is open to talk and to wait for the German Government but if the Germans do not come to Mohammed the Ovaherero will come to them.
“If they are behaving like the German lady who was here last time who was talking like she was talking to drunk people it won’t help,” he said.
He said he believes with the help of the Namibian Government the reparations issue will be a closed chapter. Rukoro called on the Ovaherero across the country and abroad to rally behind him.
“The division within the Ovaherero people is there but not that big, it is something we can solve together,” stated the new Paramount Chief.
He further told the audience that the will of his predecessor Chief Kuaima Riruako has been fulfilled and what is left now is for him to tighten his shoelaces and carry on where he left off. He however said that he could not say much on “this today” since the time will come when he would be expected to deliver his official speech.
He was elected as Ovaherero Paramount Chief at the meeting held at Ehungiro in Otjinene in Omaheke Region a week ago.
Rukoro was accompanied by Chief Tjipene Keja of Okondjatu and Queen Aletha Karikondua Nguvauva of one of the Ovambanderu factions, among many others.
“It was pretty obvious that all the traditional leaders who gathered at Ehungiro did not have anyone else apart from Rukoro,” he explained to the crowd who gathered at Commando 2 on Thursday.
The position became vacant following the death of the late Chief Kuaima Riruako on 2 June this year.