Gciriku community worried about leadership vacuum

A report on a traditional leadership succession dispute in the Gciriku community still needs to be submitted to the Council of Traditional Leaders, the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni, says.

Uutoni told The Namibian last week that investigations into a dispute about the Gciriku traditional leadership succession rights have been concluded and a report compiled. The report still hass to be submitted to the Council of Traditional Leaders, Uutoni said.

He said after being submitted to the Council of Traditional Leaders, which should study the report and provide recommendations, it will be submitted to the Office of the President.

“It’s a process, and we are dealing with many things. The Council of Traditional Leaders only meets once a year, and it will only meet towards the end of the year,” said Uutoni.

A member of the Gciriku royal family in May wrote a letter to Kavango East governor Bonifasius Wakudumo to enquire about progress made with the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development’s investigations into the Gciriku chieftainship succession issue.

The letter was signed by Gciriku royal family representative Engelbetha Katura.

The letter requested Wakudumo, as well as Uutoni, to update them on the latest developments of the ministerial investigation.

Wakudumo said the issue has been dragging on and is causing a leadership vacuum.

The Gciriku community has been without a leader since the death of chief Kassian Shiyambi in November 2019.

The process to succeed him has left the community’s three royal families at loggerheads.

In December 2022, the ministry sent a delegation to the Gciriku community to investigate issues surrounding the succession of the chieftainship.

Wakudumo told The Namibian last week that he had received the letter and his office has written to the minister’s office and is awaiting feedback on the matter.

Three men were contesting to ascend to the Gciriku throne – Felix Muraghuli Mashika from the Kunyanda royal family, Kosmas Shimanu from the Nankali family and Bartholomeus Aruvitha Kayoka from the Ruhepo family.

After a ministry delegation had a meeting with the Ruhepo and the Kandambo royal families on 13 December last year to enquire about the succession process, it became a two-man race, with Shimanu out of the picture.

Mashika’s claim to the throne is based on a letter his grandfather, the late Shiyambi, left behind, allegedly nominating him as his successor. In contrast, Kayoka’s claim is based on arguments that his uncle, the late chief, took his place in 1999 because he was deemed too young to be made chief.

Kayoka’s application to be recognised as Gciriku chief, was signed and endorsed by Wakudumo last year.

After learning that Kayoka’s application was signed and forwarded to the line ministry, Mashika approached the High Court to compel Wakudumo to sign his application or for the court to appoint an alternative legal person to do so.

The Windhoek High Court has indicated that it will deliver its judgement next month.

Uutoni and the Gciriku Traditional Authority are the second and third respondents in the matter.