The majority of the Dâure Daman clan of the Damara community stayed away from the clan’s annual festival at Uis over the weekend.
Clan members who stayed away from the festival on Saturday delivered a petition calling for the removal of chief Zacharias Seibeb from his position in the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority.
The petition, filled with grievances and allegations of mismanagement, highlights the community’s dissatisfaction with its current leadership and seeks intervention from the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.
The petition was read by community activist Jimmy Areseb, who has been vocal about ongoing mining activities in the Uis area.
According to Areseb, the chief has failed to keep the community informed about important development projects and has not cooperated with the government and local authorities as mandated.
One of the key concerns raised in the petition is the manner in which mining and prospecting activities have been handled in the area.
The community alleges that Seibeb granted permission to investors without community input, potentially disregarding the rights and livelihoods of local farmers and small-scale miners.
“The chief provides such permissions in return for foodstuff such as hamburgers and water, electric appliances, and finances paid into a NamPost account that is in the name of the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority, while we have a community trust account, and these funds are used without relevant financial records for sometimes personal use of the chief and his immediate family,” they allege.
The chief’s appointment of his daughter as secretary, allegedly granting her excessive powers and allowing her to charge fees for recommendation letters, has also raised eyebrows.
“The operations of our office are kept as secrets as the meetings with investors are only attended by the chief and his daughter at their residence, excluding all the other traditional councillors and the community, and this kind of operation reflects some kind of a family cartel,” the petition alleges.
The community has appealed to the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for urgent intervention in the matter.
Seibeb received the petition. He said he took note of the allegations raised in the petition and would respond to them in due course
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