OLUNO/ONAMBANGO – The two claimant Aakwaniilwa of Ondonga at separate meetings held over the weekend called for unity and harmony in the divided Ondonga.
Addressing thousands of people at Onambango Palace on Saturday, claimant Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo appealed to the Ondonga populous to uphold the spirit of reconciliation which has been adopted in Namibia. He particularly called on traditional councillors to treat and serve the people they have been assigned to lead without discrimination of which faction they belongto. “Everyone is ours, let us assist all the people irrespective of who they associate themselves with. Let us forgive each other and start a new fresh page,” Nangolo said. Claimant Omukwaanilwa Konis Kalenga in his brief address on Friday at the Ondonga Traditional Office at Oluno called for peace and harmony. “Peace and harmony should guide us further,” Kalenga said. Kalenga addressed about a 100 elders.
Kalenga also announced he will appoint an advisory committee which will be announced in due course. The meeting addressed by Kalenga sought to source views from the elders on how previous succession battles were solved.
The meeting further sought to affirm whether the royal family is on the right path with the decision they have taken to nominate Kalenga as the King of Ondonga amidst claims that Nangolo was appointed by the late King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas as his successor. Some members of the royal family stands their ground that Nangolo was only nominated as a proxy to assist the late Elifas.
Each faction is however, adamant it is doing the right thing and is guaranteed a win should the two factions go to court. Nangolo in his lengthy address also appealed to the royal family to work with him, advise him on how best to lead Ondonga.
“The royal family is not immune to squabbles, we are a family like any other,” Nangolo stressed.
He further called on the community to work with him to build Ondonga.
Nangolo promised the people of Ondonga to uphold the existing traditional norms and practices thus pleaded with the parents to also educate their children of the existing norms and practices to ensure that the next generation is well informed.
Kashona Malulu, spokesperson for Nangolo’s faction announced that a new palace and an office which will have an office for all its eleven districts is earmarked for construction at a later stage.
Some headmen at the meeting addressed by Kalenga were in limbo about where to submit royalties obtained for houses and cucashops since there are two offices.
Ester Gwashamba Nepando in response lashed at what she terms ‘unstable headmen’ citing that there is only one recognised office and that is where all royalties should be brought to.
Nangolo’s faction operates from an office at Onethindi in Oniipa.