By Michael Liswaniso OPUWO A four-member delegation from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on constitutional and legal affairs held a consultative meeting on the motion on the election, recognition and appointment of traditional leaders here in Opuwo last Thursday. The aim of the meeting was not to recognize but to gather the concerns and views of traditional leaders who want to be legitimately recognized by government and investigate the implementation of procedures and processes culminating in the appointment and recognition of traditional leaders in Namibia as per the provision of the traditional authorities act, No.ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 25 of 2000 and to seek views on establishing the need for amending the current Act based on the committee’s findings and recommendations to be reported to the National Assembly, amongst others. Kaokoland, also known as Kunene North, has more than 31 chiefs wanting to be recognized by the government. At present, it is only the Otjikaoko Traditional Authority and the Thom Royal House that are recognized by government. New Era has been reliably informed that the 31 chiefs had their demarcated area of jurisdiction prior to independence and especially during the South African regime. Though this is the case, however, after independence most were not recognized by government, which cited a lack of formal kingdom or chiefdom backgrounds in the past prior to colonialism by Germany and South Africa. Most traditional leaders wanting to be recognized who presented their cases before the delegation, voiced that government should recognize them, claiming politics should not interfere with traditional affairs but rather let traditional authorities run their own affairs “amicably”. Some wondered as to why government is still failing to recognize them after high court orders were already passed through in their favour.