Zebaldt Ngaruka 

A group of San in Gobabis felt betrayed by the Right to Shelter Foundation after it removed Dina Fillimon, a San, from its Gobabis local authority list. 

The complaints stemmed from the letter written by the foundation to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to remove Fillimon from the list to pave the way for another “preferred” candidate. 

Fillimon was duly gazetted by ECN, with her name etched in official records as a legitimate representative. 

The foundation, under the leadership of Veronia Mokaleng- Kuzeeko, secured three out of seven seats on the Gobabis Town Council in the just ended local authority elections. 

In a media statement, the group claimed that the Right to Shelter Foundation victory was built on the backing of San voters and activists, adding that it will not be fair to change the candidates in the gazetted list. The group claimed that the foundation approached the San community in Gobabis in the lead-up to the 26 November 2025 local authority elections to lobby for support. 

“They enlisted a San community member, including a dedicated San-speaking woman, to campaign and lobby on their behalf,” reads the statement. According to the statement, the San community were promised upliftment such as better housing, land rights and a seat at the table to address the chronic marginalisation that sees their families crammed into informal settlements without basic services like water, electricity or education. 

The concerned group stated that Fillimon – the beacon of their resilience – stood front and centre, knocking on doors in San enclaves, rallying votes from her kin. 

“What angers us more is the escalation of injustice by Mokaleng- Kuzeeko who directly wrote to the magistrate demanding the removal of a San lady. 

Our sister is being sidelined to make way for Mokaleng-Kuzeeko’s cronies and insiders who prioritise personal loyalty over community needs,” it read. This, the San community calls it betrayal and questioned why a marginalised woman who embodies the struggles of the community should be replaced with those who have never felt the sting. 

They requested that Mokaleng- Kuzeeko and the foundation withdraw the letter and leave their sister immediately. In response, Wynand Lukas, speaking on behalf of the Right to Shelter Foundation, rejected the claims as false, misleading and politically motivated. 

“These allegations are political gimmicks aimed at tarnishing the image of the Right to Shelter Foundation following its historic victory in the Gobabis local authority elections, where it got three seats,” he said. 

Lukas said Fillimon is not discriminated against, victimised on her background, as she is fully aware that her name was erroneously entered in the ECN system. 

“She was not elected, and we engaged her on many occasions. However, this is due to external pressures and political elements she persisted to follow instead of following the Foundation,” Lukas said. Lukas further put it that Fillimon is a member of the Foundation and remains an important member. 

“We wish she would overcome this trauma of influence from opposition. We will support her to recover during this process,” he said. Lukas reiterated that the foundation was founded on the basis of restoring, dignity and justice to the marginalised communities. He said the foundation lawfully and democratically designated Mokaleng-Kuzeeko, Aletta Uiras and himself to the Gobabis town council. 

Lukas emphasised that these members were not selected for personal gain, but to deliver. 

“We engaged ECN to rectify this error,” he said. 

-zngaruka@yahoo.com