Rift widens within Witbooi family

A SUCCESSION dispute within the Witbooi clan’s royal family deepened when Hendrik Ismael Witbooi (Isaxub), a chieftaincy contender, was barred from giving a musical performance at Hans Petersen’s memorial service on Friday.

‘I was summoned by the AME St Mark’s congregation church leader, Reverend Jonas !Nakom, only to be told that I was not welcome to perform musical tributes during the memorial church service,’ Witbooi told The Namibian. According to Witbooi, !Nakom told him that it was a request by Peterson’s widow Alwina Petersen, who is his aunt. Witbooi said he insisted that the family’s request be made public to mourners who attended the memorial service, and went back into the church to continue playing his musical tributes. He was called for a second time to be informed again by the AME Church leadership under Reverend Andreas Biwa that the Petersen family did not want him to perform musical tributes during the memorial or funeral services. ‘I then again insisted for an public announcement, but it fell on deaf ears. I then went back into the church and played the song titled ‘The Day of Separation’, and saluted the coffin of Late Hans Petersen before I staged a walkout,’ said Witbooi. Witbooi believes that the family’s request for him to stop playing music during the services had to do with a feud that had developed between him and Peterson over the clan’s chieftaincy succession. The clan’s succession battle started after the death of former Prime Minister Hendrik Witbooi two years ago. Petersen wanted Salmon Witbooi as chief, but Hendrik Ismael Witbooi claimed that that he was the only rightful successor.luqman@namibian.com.na