Hileni Mwandingi
GOBABIS – The vice-chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders Goab Immanuel /Ĝaseb has expressed his gratitude to the government for providing a platform where traditional leaders can engage with various institutions.
He was speaking during the 22nd annual meeting of the council in Gobabis yesterday.
/Ĝaseb said it is through such meetings that the traditional authorities engage with stakeholders on different issues for the betterment of the traditional communities. He further singled out President Hage Geingob for his uninterrupted dedication and tireless commitment to serve the country.
/Ĝaseb said the President has demonstrated an exemplary leadership style by ensuring that Namibians enjoy the freedom they deserve by engaging with him in all matters of concern at various platforms. He further thanked Geingob for the appointment of a commission of inquiry into ancestral land, on which /Ĝaseb also serves as a commissioner.
“Through the regional consultations, I have observed and noticed that some of the ancestral land claims are matters that can be dealt with by the specific traditional authorities in that area, and I hope and trust that as traditional leaders we are going to look into this matter and advise the government and our President accordingly.”
/Ĝaseb added that the government has created a conducive environment for traditional leaders to perform their duties in accordance with the laws of the country but the endless disputes among them are destabilising the environment. He therefore requested the minister of Urban and Rural Development to scrutinise all the new recognition applications, as most of the applicants already fall under the existing recognised traditional authorities.
“It is due to these applications that our traditional communities are on a daily basis embroiled in disputes and drag each other to court, which is not our customary practice. Therefore I call upon our communities to respect our customary norms and practices to move away from unwanted disputes.”
/Ĝaseb said the Council of Traditional Leaders condemns barbaric acts such as gender-based violence, baby dumping and drug and alcohol abuse. He called upon communities to fight such issues by reporting them to the relevant authorities. He further called upon Namibians to reject violence during the upcoming elections in November.
The annual meeting of the Council of Traditional Leaders was attended by President Geingob in Gobabis yesterday and will meet until Friday.