Caught in-between… Ester Muinjague
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority says Bob Kandetu and former Nudo MP Arnold Tjihuiko connived with President Hage Geingob’s administration to capture the former chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation Ester Muinjangue to accept the deputy minister’s position.
Muinjangue, who is also the president of Nudo party, was appointed by Geingob as the deputy minister this year.
The Ovaherero paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro stripped Muinjangue of the position of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation after she took up the position of deputy health minister.
A statement dated 18 May 2020 and signed by the authority’s secretary-general Prof Mutjinde Katjiua also said that Tjihuiko should repair the damage he caused to the community with a cow of a minimum value of N$12,000.
In addition, Tjihuiko’s peer-group (in the sense of circumcision) also fined him a heifer.
The council forgave Kandetu after he had apologised unreservedly while for Muinjangue the council agreed that the paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro’s decision to strip her of the position as Chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation was correct and timely.
Furthermore, the council also re-affirmed that the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation carries out activities under the auspices of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority.
Therefore, the statement said, the chiefs resolved that Muinjangue acted wrongly by keeping the Rukoro and his leadership in the dark about her involvement in the machination to join the Government and thereby compromising the struggle for genocide reparation.
However, the statement said, the chiefs took note of Muinjangue’s acceptance of her removal from the genocide foundation’s top position.
Fined a cow and a heifer… Arnold Tjihuiko
Tjihuiko was found guilty of making unsubstantiated statements on social media aimed at tarnishing the image of Rukoro, the Ovaherero Traditional Authority, and the dignity and values of the Ovaherero people.
“Mr. Tjihuiko’s utterances in the social media shocked the Ovaherero community and Namibians in general and in all earnest brought the good name of the Ovaherero leadership in disrepute,” the statement said.
The chiefs ordered Tjihuiko to retracts his unfounded statement that Rukoro held a meeting on 26th May at his village where he allegedly expressed his intention to remove both Tjihuiko and Kandetu from his executive committee, and Muinjangue from the NUDO presidency.
They also said that Tjihuiko should publicly apologise, using audios in the social media, to Rukoro, the Ovaherero Traditional Authority and the Ovaherero people.
“The apology will be vetted by a Committee of the Chiefs Council under the watch of Ombara Vipuira Kapuuo who is also the Chairperson of the Chiefs Council,” the statement further said.
Apologised unreservedly … Bob Kandetu
Bob Kandetu was found to have acted wrongly in spreading rumours that Rukoro held a meeting on
26th May at his village where he allegedly expressed his intention to remove both Messrs. Tjihuiko and Kandetu from his executive committee, and Muinjangue from the NUDO presidency.
According to the statement, Kandetu testified that the alleged meeting never took place and as a result, he was found guilty of conniving behind Rukoro’s back in a tripartite machination involving unnamed top government officials, the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation chairperson leading to the appointment of Muinjangue.
The Chiefs Council, the statement said, saw this machination as aimed at destroying the Ovaherero and Nama genocide reparation struggle led by the Ovaherero Traditional Authority and the Nama Traditional Leaders Association.
The chiefs, however, are said to have taken note of Kandetu’s remorse and the sincere apology he offered.
Both Prof Mutjinde Katjiua and Muinjangue did not pick up calls from Eagle FM Monday evening.
