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Home / Kauluma prohibits axed councillors from holding meetings
Kauluma prohibits axed councillors from holding meetings
2017-10-19Staff Report 2 Nuusita Ashipala Ongwediva-Ondonga Traditional Authority chief Fillemon Kauluma Elifas has barred axed senior traditional councillors Joseph Asino and Vilho Kamanya from holding community meetings in the villages, where they have been removed as senior traditional headmen. “The case which you have opened against me is still with the court, it has not been finalised. It has just been postponed, hence I do not see why you have to grease my leadership while the matter is still with the courts,” said Kauluma. The two former headmen are said to have been planning public meetings at Oniiwe and Amutenya, the villages that were previously under their jurisdiction, but Kauluma accused the two axed councillors of sowing division, confusion and disrupting peace. New Era is in possession of a letter addressed to the two axed councillors earlier this month. Naeman Amalwa, press aide to Kauluma, has confirmed the content of the letter. Amalwa said: “The king is appealing to Kamanya and Asino to stop their intention of misleading the Ondonga populace. They should remain calm as adults, although they are no longer traditional councillors because they are now rebels fighting the king.” The traditional councillors axed from the Ondonga Traditional Authority have laid several charges against chief Kauluma, as well as demanding unrestricted access to the chief and to prevent his wife Secilia Elifas from interfering in traditional authority matters. The dismissed traditional councillors also appealed to be reinstated and have interdicted the newly appointed traditional councillors from being gazetted, pending the outcome of the cases launched at the High Court. The axed councillors also want the Ondonga chief through the courts to validate the signature and stamp on several letters issued by his office, including the letters of their dismissal. Kauluma in the letter mentioned that he had recently received reports that the two axed councillors were holding meetings in the Amuteya and Oniiwe districts. “I have received reports that the meetings you are holding are confusing the [populace] and as such are unconstitutional and need to be stopped with immediate effect,” Kauluma said. He further states that he remains the traditional authority leader and only he has the power to appoint and dismiss his councillors. Both Kamanya and Asino could not be reached for comment as their mobile phones were switched off. 2017-10-19Staff Report 2
