Orlam Chief Threatens Community With Legal Action

Luqman Cloete

3 June 2011

The leader of the Nama-speaking Herero tribe, known as the Orlam, Joel Stephanus, has warned of legal action against a community meeting scheduled for Saturday.

On instruction of Chief Stephanus, lawyer Fried Schultz wrote to Erick Stephanus, who is spearheading the planned meeting’s arrangements, warning of legal action if the gathering in question or any other is convened without prior consent from the Vaalgras Traditional Authority.

Despite threats of litigation, Erick Stephanus yesterday said: “We’re living in an independent country where we have rights, therefore on the basis thereof we’ll go ahead with planned meeting”.

“The planned meeting is not aimed at gearing up community members for a war, but to discuss socio-economic development issues and grievances facing us,” Erick Stephanus added.

The legal threats followed after the community had defied an early order by Chief Stephanus not to convene a meeting.

“I want to make it very clear to you that I am the paramount traditional chief of Vaalgras. You never had any permission from me to call a meeting within the area of my jurisdiction. No such a meeting is and will be allowed. I and my council will call a community meeting as we see it fit and necessary and nobody else” Chief Stephanus earlier stated in the letter to the community.

Defying Chief Stephanus’ initial order not to hold the meeting, the community replied that they would go ahead with the planned gathering in terms of Article 21 (10 9e) of the Namibian Constitution which they say provides for the fundamental freedom of association.

Asked about threats of a no-confidence motion against Chief Stephanus at Saturday’s meeting, Erick Stephanus said: “How can you be led by person in whom you have lost trust? For the past 20 years we have not seen any socio-economic development in our area, and currently the Chief is refusing to collaborate with the recently appointed Karas governor who is hell-bent to speed up socio-economic growth across the entire region”.

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