Barely five months since the burial of Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) Paramount Chief, Advocate Vekuii Rukoro, political jostling has taken centre stage as various factions are positioning themselves to land the coveted position.

Presently meetings are being held in different parts of the country to chart the way forward for the OTA.

At the heart of these meetings is whether Ovitoto Chief Vipuira Kapuuo has the legitimacy to lead the OTA on an interim basis until a suitable candidate to replace Rukoro is identified.

One meeting by the Ovaherero Red Flag Association took place in Okakakara last weekend. This meeting endorsed Kapuuo.

Another summit is slated for Onderombapa, Amunius, in Omaheke on Saturday.

The weekend’s meeting is expected to remove Kapuuo from his acting portfolio, Nampa has learned.

This is because Kapuuo, through his acting role, is positioning himself to take over the reins.

According to insiders, all avenues are being explored to clip Kapuuo’s wings, including legal instruments.

There is also an agenda to “weaken Kapuuo’s public image”, according to people who attended a meeting at the Ovaherero community’s Commando Hall, known as Commando 2, in Katutura two weeks ago.

Kapuuo and his handlers, according to those familiar with OTA affairs “are hell-bent to erase Rukoro’s legacy, particularly his firm position of not selling out his community on the genocide matter”.

A chiefs council meeting, which is the highest decision-making body as per the OTA statutes is also scheduled for 15 December 2021.

Kapuuo, who is the chairman of the OTA, distanced himself from this meeting, branding it illegal.

“I am the convener of any chiefs council meeting. I did not convene that meeting, so I will not attend an illegal meeting,” Kapuuo told Omurari FM’s flagship show, Keetute on Wednesday.

He added that those using his name to advance their self-serving agendas will regret it.

‘DIVIDED WE FALL’

“We must not rejoice when people are fighting. This infighting brings disunity. And when this community is divided, it will be difficult to unite them again and we will have ourselves as leaders to blame,” he said.

Kapuuo also rubbished claims that he is in cahoots with external forces to ‘sell the Ovaherero and Nama genocide’.

More so, a third force is interested in whoever becomes the Ovaherero PC, especially at a time when the widely contested genocide joint declaration is before Parliament for ratification.

“For six months, I have been insulted and accused of working with the government to sell out my own people. I deliberately kept quiet. But sometimes, silence is mistaken for acceptance. But enough is enough. I worked hand-in-hand with my late chief [Rukoro]. Why would I suddenly want to sell out our position on genocide?’ a clearly irate Kapuuo said.

KAPUUO VS COMMITTEE

Tellingly, the bone of contention appears to be Kapuuo’s role and that of the transitional committee which was appointed following Rukoro’s demise.

The committee assumed all the functions of the Office of the Paramount Chief (PC).

It was composed of three chiefs and four former advisers of the late Rukoro.

FAUX PAS

But the song is now different in the OTA corridors.

“That committee was simply put in place to preside over the funeral programme of our late paramount chief because all the chiefs of the Red Flag could not meet due to the COVID-19 protocols, which included closures between regions,” Chris Kavari from Kunene, who attended the weekend meeting, said.

He lauded the committee for their role in organising and ensuring Rukoro received a befitting burial.

“But the committee has since ceased to exist,” he stressed.

Kavari’s version was shot down by another source.

“The role of the committee cannot be solely for the burial of the paramount chief. The paramount chief had a lot of work going on [at the time of his death]. Who could have continued with this? Is it Kapuuo? That’s why the committee was established, consisting of seven people, four technical people from the OTA and three chiefs, of whom Kapuuo was one,” the source said.

She went on: “The committee has been engaged with talks with the Germans on the genocide matter… the committee was set up to avoid the leadership void until a substantive PC is appointed. How Kapuuo deviated from this bonafide course is baffling.”

Kavari went further to say at all times when a PC is unable to execute his functions or is deceased, his role is always taken up by the chiefs’ council’s chairperson [Kapuuo in this case].

“It is nothing new and this is what our law says. Let us just stick to the law,” he said.

THE FRONTRUNNERS

Northern business mogul and patron of the OTA, Ben Zaaruka is understood to be in favour of Kapuuo’s interim role. Efforts to solicit comment from Zaaruka were futile.

So far, several names of potential candidates to replace Rukoro are being floated.

Kapuuo, Mutjinde Katjiua (current interim transitional committee member), Popular Democratic Movement leader, McHenry Venaani and businessman and former Standard Bank Namibia boss, Vetumbuavi Mungunda are among those touted.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency