WINDHOEK – The matter in which two members of the Ondonga royal family wanted the Windhoek High Court on an urgent basis to interdict a member of another faction from acting as if he was the successor to the throne was struck from the court roll on Friday for lack of urgency.
Acting High Court Judge Claudia Claasen made the ruling. Oscar Sheehama and Konisa Eino Kalenga wanted the court to interdict Fillemon Shuumba Nangolo from acting in any manner as if he is the successor to the crown of the late Omukwaniilwa Immanuel Kauluma Elifas.
They wanted the court to stop Nangolo from ‘purporting in any way’ to be the successor of Kauluma or as the future head of the Ondonga traditional community and restrain Nangolo from proclaiming himself as the king or chief or head of the traditional authority and also from accepting any designation, nomination or appointment from any person that is aimed or has the effect of designating Nangolo to be such.
A further order was sought interdicting Nangolo from conducting himself in any manner that undermines the authority, powers, functions and privileges that the eligible members of the Ondonga royal family have to designate, nominate and appoint a successor to the king and/or head and/or chief of the Ondonga traditional community, and a declaratory order that only eligible members of the Ondonga royal family have the right, privilege and the power to designate, nominate and appoint a successor to the king, chief or head of the Ondonga Traditional Authority.
They also wanted the court to declare that, under the current customary law of Ondonga, the community has no authority to nominate, designate nor appoint a successor to the position of king, chief or head. The applicants also wanted the court to declare that the alleged appointment as king or successor to the king or the basis for the alleged appointment relied upon by Nangolo is unlawful and invalid.
Kauluma died on March 26 in Onandjokwe hospital after a long illness. Both Nangolo and Kalenga were crowned yesterday as king by their respective factions.