Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The /Gobanin and San traditional communities in the Omaheke Region have accused the Namibian government of marginalising them, dispossessing their land, and refusing to recognise their elected leader, Chief Frans Migub/Goagoseb.
The communities say Chief Goagoseb was elected and crowned in October 2003 under their customary law.
However, for over 20 years, the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) has not recognised him.
Instead, the ministry recognises Stephanus Gariseb, whom the communities say was imposed on them against their will.
“The continued non-recognition of our democratically elected chief and the failure to address our historical land dispossession are not merely administrative oversights; they are deliberate acts of political obstruction,” said Phillip Prinze, secretary general of the /Gobanin Traditional Community.
The communities demand immediate recognition of Chief Goagoseb and the cancellation of Gariseb’s recognition.
They want a full investigation into how past recognition applications were handled and how Gariseb’s leadership has been managed.
They claim to have lost most of their ancestral land in the Goreses area of Otjinene Constituency.
Their land has shrunk from 40,000 hectares to 1,000 hectares.
They say some of the land was illegally sold or allocated to others, including the Maharero Traditional Authority, during the time Chief /Goagoseb was not recognised.
The communities demand the return of their ancestral land, compensation for the loss, and full participation in land governance.
They have requested a meeting with the executive director of MURD but have not received any response.
A petition submitted to the Governor of the Omaheke Region is also still unanswered.
The communities have lodged a formal complaint with the regional police commander against Councillor Ignatius Kariseb.
They accuse him of allocating land on Farm Vergenoeg Unit A without involving their leadership.
They say this encourages illegal occupation and weakens community structures.
“We are peace-loving Namibians who demand justice. The continued silence from the Executive Director of MURD and the Governor of the Omaheke Region is unacceptable and demonstrates a disregard for our plight,” said Anna Martha Ganes, a senior councillor under Chief /Goagoseb.
Ismael Gariseb, personal assistant to Chief Goagoseb, said the lack of recognition has hurt the community socially.
“Unlike other communities, our people face extreme poverty, a rise in street children, early pregnancies, substance abuse, and increased crime. Our youth are being arrested for offences like housebreaking, and our people are battling malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and TB,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
