WINDHOEK- Chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders (CTL) King Immanuel Kauluma has urged men to stop believing they ‘own’ their wives or girlfriends simply because they support them materially.
“Our African customary norms require men to give bride dowry (gift) to the in-laws and such gifts can be given in the form of cattle or money, but it does not mean that the men has bought himself a wife at all,” the chief said in a speech read by Ondonga Senior Councillor, Peter Kauluma.
Giving gifts or dowry to in-laws should serve as a means of appreciating and respecting women, rather than as a tool to take ownership of them.
However, he said if parent detect that their daughter is being physically abused by husband, the parents have the right to take back their daughter from the abusive marriage.
“The message I want to bring across to our men in this country is, don’t even think that you own your wife or your girlfriend and that you can do whatever you want or do harm to them simply because you support them financially,” said the King.
He said there was a time when brave Namibians fought oppression and brutality against the minority of South African regime and it has become very evident that we have forgotten the brutality that we suffered at the hands of the minority South African regime.
“The freedom we fought for in this country includes our rights to live as human beings, not freedom to go on shooting sprees and killing innocent women and children,” he adds.
Kauluma said Gender Base Violence (GBV) can only be stopped by putting our house in order and telling our children to respect the elders and elders to behave as adults.
“What matters most is what we do in our daily lives,” he said.
He said if we drink alcohol and abuse drugs, we will be enhancing GBV in this country.
“Because when one consumes alcohol you will be intoxicated and forget about your pride and commit any act as the alcohol might desire,” he said.
Kauluma admitted that there are criminals out there determined to commit GBV by killing innocent women and children.
“In that sense I would like to call upon our law enforcement officers to double their efforts in maintaining law and order in all corners of Namibia,” he said.
Kauluma made these remarks at the opening of the four day 17th annual meeting of the Council of Traditional Leaders which started in the capital on Monday. It is attended by various traditional leaders across the country, most notably among them, Queen Martha Mwadinomho Kristian Nelumbu of Oukwanyama.