The chairperson of Okongo traditional authority district, Asser Mukumangeni, confirmed the traditional authority has resolved the matter of the 30-year-old widow who was evicted from her matrimonial home after her husband died.

During a meeting that occurred on 11 July to solve the matter, Mukumangeni explained that some information on the matter was distorted by the family members.

 However, the authority ruled the widow to get her house and land back from where she was evicted after the death of her husband last year. 

“The meeting was attended by the widow and the headman in question. The headman assured the authority that the land and the house were still unoccupied and it will be handed over to the widow,” said Mukumangeni.

Mukumangeni explained if the widow happens to be disinterested in the house, it would be given to her children of her deceased husband.

Last month, New Era reported the headman of the Omufimba village in Okongo constituency in Ohangwena evicted the widow from her matrimonial home and sold it for N$35 000 to a local villager. 

The traditional chairperson explained the headman is related to the deceased hence, there are so many family issues involved that led to the distortions of the information, however, the widow was given her land and house back last week.

According to relatives of the late husband, after their brother Eliakim Nghituninwa died, the headman decided to offer their sister-in-law another man to replace her husband if she wanted to continue staying in the house. 

Olivia Nghidengwa, the mother of three, married Nghituninwa in August 2008. The couple built their home after getting married. 

“The headman, who is the uncle to the deceased, allocated the land to the nephew the year they got married – just as customarily done in a tradition that a married man can approach the headman to get a portion of communal land to construct his house. After the allocation of the land, our brother then started paying the charges every year just like any other person,” said the deceased’s  sister.  The sister, who refused to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said they are furious as a family that their sister-in-law has no place to stay and went back to her mother’s house, a place she had left 12 years ago. 

The widow is unemployed. 

– ljason@nepc.com.na