Thank you once again for the privilege to enable me to share my views in your newspaper with the entire Namibian Nation on the succession debate of the vacant Chief position in the Witbooi Traditional Community [Khowesen].
As the committee supporting our legitimate candidate, Brother Hendrik Ismael Witbooi [Isaxub], we have been reading newspapers as well as listening to the radio (Damara/Nama) where the public aired its views and feelings.
When we started this debate, this committee agreed not to take the media route after the very first article in which we made our stance clear. This was in fact a necessity to alert the public on what our position – and who our candidate was and still is.
However, recently our candidate himself and our supporters from different societies have been provoked by immaterial counter-statements and hence responded on certain articles bearing the destructive contents of this debate as the comments made by these individuals were misleading to say the least.
This committee studied and scrutinised the proceedings of this debate and has found no valid reason or grounds on which this debate has to drag on with its sluggish pace.
Thus, we found it fit to officially raise our voice to rescue the derailing of our custom in paternal linage of the well-known succession bloodline. Some individuals deliberately attempted a strange nomination from maternal linage, which we don’t know in our prodigious history. Failing to rescue this will lead our clan into a very shameful succession history.
However, the pretext according to a recent media release such as unknown superior qualifications, financial independence (which is not beneficial to the community) and high-ranking political connections that Mr Salomon Josephat Witbooi [Koelieb] is associated with compared to our paternal linage candidate, Brother Hendrik Ismael Witbooi, borders on character defamation.
The preceding warrants us to launch unspecified action on the responsible individuals who are trying to disrupt the legitimacy of our one and only qualifying candidate. Furthermore, we request the authors of the senseless articles and SMS’s to come forth and clarify their reasoning.
The media houses should also bear in mind that we are dealing here with the legacy of an outstanding Namibian Hero and Captain, late Rev. Dr Hendrik Witbooi and should treat these articles accordingly.
In the same vein, we would also like historians and senior elders in the community to follow the debate thoroughly and advise what happened in the past with regard to the selection of royal bloodline succession.
Truth’s lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue will be momentary. Thus only the Truth will prevail.
If our memories serve us well, Mr Johannes Richter, the concerned group of the Witbooi family and our candidate can testify that the group of the family members gathered with our candidate promoting the decision of the late Captain Rev. Dr Hendrik Witbooi who wanted Brother Hendrik Ismael Witbooi to lead the clan.
Present at this gathering were the late Rev. Hans Petersen, Mother Alwina Petersen, Mother Anna Jacobs (mother of Mr Salomon Witbooi), Johannes Richter, our candidate and other family members.
This meeting took place on July 3 – 4, 2010 in the very same contesting Salomon Witbooi’s house.
A unanimous decision was taken to submit the name of our candidate. Regrettably, the winds of change swept after the passing and burial of the late Captain Rev. Dr. Hendrik Witbooi; the late Rev. Hans Petersen who is the brother-in-law of the late Captain Rev. Dr Hendrik Witbooi forwarded a strange secondary nomination contradicting the customs of our great clan. This process was facilitated by Rev. Pineas E. Topnaar (son of the late father Jefta Topnaar who emanates from the Red Nation [KAI-KHAUN]) as their spokesperson. This was a shocking discovery as it was not the wish of the late Captain Rev. Dr. Hendrik Witbooi.
The following are some factors that should be considered with immediate effect.
– The Traditional Authority Council is not actively paying sufficient interest in concluding this debate. During the past ten months, no meeting was called to address this matter. The health of the Acting Captain is also noticeably deteriorating.
– It is almost 5 years since the passing of the former Captain, late Rev. Dr Hendrik Witbooi and the clan is robbed of its customary stance and practice by the so-called spokesperson (Rev. Pineas E. Topnaar) and some minor members of the royal house.
– Due to the current health of the Acting Captain, we cannot afford or allow the postponement of this saga any longer. The community is missing their representation on all levels of government meetings.
– The selection morality and attempts to impose a certain foreign registered denomination on our clan is the main cause of this debate. It must not be ignored that the clan consists of different churches in the society and should not be made a condition in this selection as per our custom.
– The final selection mandate lies with the clan. The royal family is intentionally delaying the process with active front involvement of non-members of the royal family by denying and excluding true royal family members born in this house to participate.
Hendrik Ismael Witbooi