Placido Hilukilwa
DURING the 1800s it was “Nangolo versus Shipanga”. But now it is Nangolo versus Kalenga, signalling a new crisis of leadership in the Ondonga Traditional community following the death of king Immanuel Kauluma Elifas last month.
Two factions of the royal clan have two different candidates as heirs to the throne.
One faction has this morning crowned Fillemon Shuumbwa Nangolo as the new king, but another faction has allegedly either nominated or crowned Konisa Kalenga as late King Elifas’ successor.
Kalenga is Nangolo’s uncle (i.e. his mother’s brother).
Informante understands that Nangolo was hand-picked by the late king as his successor and this decision was allegedly made public in 2002 and reaffirmed in writing in 2012, but its validity was challenged recently by another faction which went as far as taking the matter to the High Court.
However, the urgent application demanding a restraining order against Nangolo’s coronation was dismissed by the High Court on Friday.
This appears to have left the door open for Nangolo’s installation as the new king of Ondonga. That is exactly what happened at his traditional homestead in the Onambango village near Ondangwa this morning.
“We are done with the traditional rituals. What now remains to be done is the official public installation,” said headman Kashona Malulu.
But that is not as easy as that.
The latest reports have it that the other faction has either nominated or crowned Kalenga as the new king of Ondonga, thereby pushing the leadership crisis to a new level.
Attempts to get comments from the Kalenga faction proved futile.
