By Kuvee Kangueehi EPUKIRO President Hifikepunye Pohamba says he was deeply disturbed by the tribal clashes that broke out in Aminuis last year. Addressing the chiefs of the two factions involved in the bloody clashes, Pohamba said the incident could have been avoided if there was better communication between the chiefs. Chief Teeze Maharero from the Maharero Royal House leads the one faction, while Ngatangwe Kavari leads the other. The President, who is currently on a visit to the Omaheke Region, said during the closed-door meeting with the two chiefs and their representatives that if both chiefs could have spoken to their followers, the tragedy would never have taken place. He urged the chiefs and their followers to respect the laws of the country. During the meeting, Pohamba also made it clear that he was not delivering a verdict on who was wrong or right during the clashes but wanted to stress the point that the two warring factions were made up of brothers and sisters. He said the final police report would reveal exactly what happened. The President also did not give any indication whether the traditional ceremony which led to the clashes should be kept on hold or totally stopped. The chiefs on their part thanked the President for availing his time to address them and said they would like to seek an audience with him individually to give their versions of the event. It is expected that Chief Ngatangwe Kavari, who is based in Aminuis, will brief the President about the incident today when the President meets with traditional leaders in Aminuis. Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Gabes Shihepo, who also accompanied the President on the visit, said the Namibian Police are still investigating the murder case. He said the police finally found the bullet that fatally hit Theboy Hiiho, and it has been sent to the forensic department for tests. He noted that the test results are likely to make a breakthrough in the case which has been moving slowly. He attributed the slow progress of the case to the reluctance of community members to give evidence to the police. Shihepo said the visit to the region would also help them understand what really happened. It does not matter whether it was a policeman or a member of the community who shot Hiiho; they are only interested in finding the identity, he said. The tribal clashes broke out last year when the Maharero Royal House decided to officially instal Ewald Kazongominja as their Senior Traditional Council in the Aminuis Constituency. The community strongly opposed the ceremony, but the Maharero Traditional Authority insisted on going ahead with it. This led to a physical confrontation between the two groups. Despite the heavy police presence, the ceremony could not take place but had to be put on hold following intervention by Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila. The meeting in Gobabis was also attended by the Governor of Omaheke, Laura McLeod, the Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, John Pandeni, as well the Aminuis Regional Councillor, Erwin Uanguta.