Staff Reporter
THE OvaZemba traditional community in the Omusati Region has revived its decades-old demand for recognition as a traditional community distinct from the Aakolonkadhi, under whose authority they currently fall.
Emotions were inflamed, and bloodshed was narrowly averted when the OvaZemba organized a ceremony to install their own chief in the 1990s. The event was violently stopped by angry members of the Uukolonkadhi tribe, accusing the OvaZemba of organizing an illegal event.
Almost 20 years later, the idea of a separate OvaZemba traditional authority is back on the table, with the first public meeting scheduled to take place at Ruacana this coming weekend.
Aggrieved members of the OvaZemba community said, “During the past two decades, we applied for recognition through proper channels, addressed letters to the office of the President, and met with the relevant ministers. Promises were made, but nothing concrete was done. We are now bringing the matter back to the public arena.”
The OvaZemba insist they are not Aakolonkadhi. “We are a distinct traditional community, with our own distinct language, traditional norms, and geographic area. We were placed under the Uukolonkadhi traditional authority simply because our leaders refused to cooperate with the colonial administration. We hoped the situation would be rectified after the attainment of independence. Instead, our repeated appeals have either been blocked or ignored altogether.”
According to the Uukolonkadhi Traditional Authority, the OvaZemba migrated from elsewhere and are now inhabitants of Uukolonkadhi. They claim the OvaZemba have no geographic area of their own.
