THE committee which wants to remove chief Erwin Munika Mbambo of the Hambukushu Traditional Authority from power is once again demanding that he steps down.
The committee wrote a letter to chief (fumu) Mbambo and the Hambukushu Traditional Authority, saying they held a referendum on 7 November 2018, where more than 2 700 people voted in favour of the removal of the chief from power.
The letter, seen by Nampa, was also copied to urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga and Kavango East governor Samuel Mbambo. It claimed that a total of 2 921 people had taken part in the referendum.
It said 2 705 votes were in support of having Mbambo removed from office, while 222 were against such a move. The rest of the votes were spoilt.
The Hambukushu people are accusing the chief of blocking development in their traditional area. They also claim that he lacks the leadership acumen required by Hambukushu customs and values. After trying to force the traditional leader out of power in December last year, the committee withdrew its demand in January, but no reasons were given for the unconditional withdrawal.
Contacted for clarity yesterday, the committee’s chairperson, Casius Mukenah, confirmed the authenticity of the letter, saying they had approached the rural development ministry for advice, and were told to follow the Hambukushu customary laws, which they did.
“We even communicated with the traditional authority through a series of letters regarding the referendum, but they failed to respond to the letters,” he stated.
Senior Hambukushu headman Erwin Disho said when contacted on Monday that they did not receive any letters from the committee, and thus cannot comment.
“We will only comment on the matter when we receive such a letter because we have not received it yet,” said Disho. – Nampa
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