Afaction within the Gciriku royal family, along with the Gciriku Traditional Authority (GTA), has coronated Muraghuli Felix Mashika as the successor to the late hompa Kassian Shiyambi, who died in November 2019. 

The faction claims they were not aware of any court order restricting their activity, and went ahead and coronated their chief last Saturday.

Gciriku chieftaincy aspirant Bartholomeus Aruvita Kayoka on Friday filed an urgent interdict in the High Court to
try and block Mashika’s coronation and designation, which was set for Saturday at Kadedere Village. He managed to get the order.

However, the event’s organisers claimed that the High Court order did not reach them.

The court ordered that there shall be no traditional crowning of Mashika as chief of the VaGciriku Traditional Community, and that there shall be no handing over of the customary instruments of
power to Mashika.

“There shall be no anointing oil or observance of any of the traditional customary rituals and rights associated with the coronation or crowning of a Gciriku chief. The orders sought under paragraph 2 above shall serve as an interim interdict with immediate effect, pending the finalisation of Part B of this application,” read the court order.

“We were not aware of the court order. If there are some more details that you want, you can always ask for an appointment so that you can come and sit with the elders,” said the coordinator of the organising committee, Dempy Kalyangu.

Just recently, Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni wrote to the GTA, recognising Mashika as the right candidate, as indicated after the ministry’s investigations into an earlier dispute. The minister
instructed the traditional authority to set things in motion for Mashika to be crowned as the traditional leader of the VaGciriku people of Kavango East. However, the minister’s pronouncement and directive was rejected by other factions of the royal family.

“I am pleased to notify you that in keeping with Section 5 (2) of the Traditional Authorities Act, 2000 (Act No. 25 of 2000), I have approved your
application to designate Mr Felix Muraghuli Mashika as chief of the Gciriku Traditional Authority to succeed the late hompa Kassian Shiyambi,” read Uutoni’s letter addressed to the chairperson of the GTA, Chrysantus Likoro, on 12 September.

“You are required to do the designation on the date, time and place determined by your traditional authority,” the minister further stated. No ministry representative attended the event.