Nuusita Ashipala
ONIIPA – The new Ondonga Community Court at Oniipa, is yet to hear a single case since it was opened in April.
Cases has been registered with the court but has not been adjudicated on, New Era has established.
Court clerk Martha Alukolo informed a meeting held at the new office that the court is still waiting for a go-ahead from the Ministry of Justice for the cases on the roll to be heard.
“At the moment, we are just registering cases, while waiting for the Minister of Justice to tell us when to start,” Alukolo said.
Alukolo did not specify how long the community should wait before the cases are heard, but urged the community to continue frequenting the office and register their cases.
The meeting was organised by the suspended councillors of the Ondonga Traditional Authority.
The councillors were suspended amidst allegations of
insubordination and for dragging Omukwaniilwa Immanuel Kauluma Elifas’ wife, Secilia Elifas to court.
The dismissed councillors want an interdict to allegedly stop Elifas from interfering in the traditional authority matters.
The primary aim of relocating the office two months ago was to allow expelled councillors, who also serve as assessors and justices, to continue registering and hearing cases because they are barred from entering the traditional authority offices where the community court usually operates.
A month later, Minister of Justice Sacky Shanghala made a U-turn on the decision to relocate the office.
Shanghala at the time said the second office is incurring
government additional expenditures, at a time when government is exercising cost-cutting measures.
“I have resolved to decline the request as the budget of the Ministry of Justice will not spuriously incur costs,” Shanghala said.
According to the minister, the new office is incurring the ministry N$2500 a month in rental fees, which he claims is not justifiable to treasury and is a wastefulness of government funds.