Staff Reporter
JUNIOR traditional leaders dedicate their time and efforts to serve communities without any form of compensation, a situation that Hinaunye Daniel Shiku, the headman of Olupito village in the Omusati Region, said was both unfair and unsustainable.
Hinaunye, who is currently in South Africa, said in an interview with Informante that junior traditional leaders — just like their seniors — play a vital role in preserving cultural heritage, promote and maintain harmonious coexistence in their respective communities, and support local development. They are, in fact, public servants and ought to be placed on the government payroll, he said.
Last year, Shiku addressed a “respectful request” to Urban and Rural Development Minister James Sankwasa, urging him to recognise “traditional workers and representatives” as public servants. “This would not only be a gesture of appreciation but also enable them to continue serving our community without financial burden,” he said.
According to existing law, only six senior traditional councillors from each traditional authority receive government allowances, which Shiku said was unfair.
Late President Hage Geingob is on record as having expressed concern about the rising costs of traditional authorities, which include salaries to chiefs and senior traditional councillors, vehicles and other administrative expenses.
A head of a traditional authority, the chief, receives a monthly government allowance of about N$2,000, and six senior traditional councillors from each traditional authority are each paid slightly over N$700 monthly.
Traditional authorities that have more than six senior traditional councillors do pay the extra senior leaders from the authority’s own coffers.
Junior leaders and their assistants are not paid at all, and this has allegedly, on many occasions, led them into the temptation of demanding money from the people they were supposed to serve free of charge or at a minimal fee.
