The Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) said it will not force an advisor of Paramount Chief Vekuii Rukoro to pay a fine of a cow worth N$12 000 for alleged “impropriety allegations” made against the traditional leader. 

OTA spokesperson Mutjinde Katjiua yesterday said the traditional authority will not take further action against former parliamentarian Arnold Tjihuiko if he decides not to pay the fine imposed upon him by the Ovaherero Chiefs Council. 
Tjihuiko was last week asked to pay a fine of a cow worth N$12 000 after he was found guilty by the chiefs council during a meeting held at Onderombapa in the Aminuis constituency of Omaheke region.  However, Tjihuiko speaking on NBC Omurari FM popular  programme Keetute yesterday questioned where the chiefs council derived its powers to fine him. 

“Can you please ask for me where the chiefs council got its powers to prosecute? Do that for me,” Tjihuiko said to the presenter. 
“I went to Aminuis thinking that we will both be asked to present our cases but while there, I realised that it was not the case. I was told no one questions the chief. Where that comes from, I don’t know. The meeting allowed Chief Rukoro to diminish, embarrass me in front of everyone there. How is that fair? How do you expect me to pay a fine that is imposed by a court that doesn’t have the powers to prosecute?” 
Speaking to New Era yesterday, Katjiua said if Tjihuiko decides not to pay, the traditional authority will not pursue the case further. “If he decides not to pay, that is up to him. I don’t think we will pursue the case further,” he said. 

New Era recently reported on the tension brewing between Tjihuiko and Rukoro. Tjihuiko served as Rukoro’s key advisor on political and governmental affairs. In a statement on Monday, Katjiua said the OTA Chiefs Council found Tjihuiko guilty and was given a punishment of a cow worth N$12 000 for “alleged lies, distortions, fabrications and outright defamatory character assassination” against Rukoro. According to the statement, Tjihuiko was also asked to retract alleged unfounded statements he made on WhatsApp. Rukoro had a meeting on 26 April at his traditional homestead where he allegedly expressed his intention to remove both Tjihuiko and former NBC director general and Rukoro’s chief of staff Bob Kandetu from his executive committee. Allegations were also made that Rukoro wanted Nudo president Utjiua Muinjangue removed from her position. 

The chiefs council also found Kandetu guilty for allegedly spreading rumours about the disputed 26 April meeting. 
Kandetu, according to the statement, was ordered to apologise to Rukoro. 
The chiefs council accepted his apology. 
The meeting saw fault in Muinjangue for not having informed Rukoro about the deputy ministerial position he was offered by President Hage Geingob. 

“The meeting resolved that Muinjangue acted wrongly by keeping Ombara Otjitambi and his leadership in the dark about her involvement in the machination to join government and thereby compromising the struggle for genocide reparation,” he said.
Muinjangue was recalled as the chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation, which alongside Nama traditional leaders, is petitioning the German government over the Ovaherero/Nama genocide reparations. 
– ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na