Northern traditional authorities have released new fines for subjects who transgress, with only few changes, while some are completely unchanged.

Ondonga king Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo said the current fines will be changed again after five years. “The slight changes of fines will apply to the eight Owambo traditional authorities in the north, and were agreed to at a recent summit,” he noted. The leaders who were present were from the Ondonga, Oukwanyama, Uukwambi, Ongandjera, Uukwaludhi, Uukolonkadhi, Ombalantu and Ombadja traditional authorities.

According to the new laws, whoever commits murder will have to pay the deceased’s family nine cattle or N$15 000, which includes a punishment of N$13 500 for taking someone’s life and N$1 500 or a cow, to be given to the traditional authority. “Those accused of impregnating a young woman will pay two cattle or N$3 000. If a man impregnates a girl as a result of rape and the girl is under 18 and/or is living with a disability or is mentally disturbed, or is a learner or student, the offender is required to pay three cattle or N$4 500,” he explained. 

Nangolo said if a man is accused of impregnating a woman upon agreement between the two, he would pay N$1 500 or one cow. The new laws further stipulate that if a villager seriously injures someone either in the arm or leg or eye, N$7 500 should be paid to the victim for each of the listed body parts injured.  

“We have also decided to impose penalties on people accused of insulting someone’s body part,” he stated. According to the set laws, insulting someone’s physical body part from the head to the navel will result in a N$150 penalty, while insulting someone’s body part from the waist down carries a N$250 penalty. 

An amount of N$50 was added to these two. Traditional leaders did not put a value for theft, but each traditional leader will decide on the penalty, depending on the value of the stolen goods. For the allocation of a mahangu field is N$600, while land for setting up a shebeen is N$150. Ondonga traditional authority spokesperson Frans Enkali explained that in a case of consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other, they all pay according to who reported the case. “If a married woman reports that her husband had sexual intercourse with another woman, that woman has to pay N$4 500 or three cattle, while the man will pay N$1 500 or one cow,” he said. If a man reports about his wife sleeping with another man, the punishment is the same.

vkaapanda@nepc.com.na