Kapuuo rejects Katjiua’s claims
Uakutura Kambaekua The faction of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) led by chairperson and Ovitoto Chief Vipuira Kapuuo has released a statement addressing ongoing leadership disputes, purported defamatory allegations, and the OTA’s official stance on genocide negotiations. Kapuuo strongly rejected recent assertions made by academic Professor Mutjinde Katjiua and his rival faction. The statement, issued... The post Kapuuo rejects Katjiua’s claims appeared first on New Era .
The faction of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) led by chairperson and Ovitoto Chief Vipuira Kapuuo has released a statement addressing ongoing leadership disputes, purported defamatory allegations, and the OTA’s official stance on genocide negotiations.
Kapuuo strongly rejected recent assertions made by academic Professor Mutjinde Katjiua and his rival faction.
The statement, issued by Chief Janee Mujahere on behalf of the OTA chairperson, countered assertions made by Katjiua during a press conference last week, where he alleged that Kapuuo’s faction had appointed representatives to the genocide joint declaration committee, a position both factions have historically opposed.
Kapuuo refuted the claims, emphasising that the OTA’s stance on the proposed Joint Declaration on Genocide between the Namibian and German governments remains unchanged.
“The Ovaherero Traditional Authority remains on record as declaring the purported Joint Declaration on Genocide between the German and Namibian governments as prejudicial to our quest for restorative justice. Our position as the OTA, which aligns with the collective stance through the Okandjoze Chiefs Assembly on genocide, is well articulated, documented and speaks volumes,” Kapuuo stated.
He continued, “Any other perception being painted by our detractors, including Professor Mutjinde Katjiua, is deliberate and amounts to a desperate distortion of facts, as witnessed in the conduct of political interest hunters through traditional pathways.”
Kapuuo asserted that anyone claiming to represent the OTA on a joint declaration committee is not officially assigned by them.
The authority argues that the declaration undermines restorative justice, dismissing Katjiua’s claims as a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts.
Reflecting on previous legal disputes, including Katjiua’s 2022 effort to halt an OTA Chiefs Council meeting, Kapuuo stressed that courts are the appropriate forum for resolving internal conflicts when dialogue fails.
He affirmed that the resolutions from the Ozombuzovindimba Chiefs Council meeting in September 2022 remain in effect, reiterating a commitment to community unity once legal matters are resolved.
The conflict within the Ovaherero Traditional Authority has led to rival assemblies, conflicting directives, and ongoing High Court litigation between the factions supporting Katjiua and Kapuuo.
During a Chiefs Council assembly in 2022, supporters of Katjiua voted to suspend Kapuuo, with 192 out of 342 chiefs voting in favour of the motion. Kapuuo’s faction however challenged the validity of the meeting, asserting that its resolutions are null and void and maintaining that only a legitimate traditional senate holds the authority to appoint a paramount chief.
Chief Katjiua did not respond to calls or questions submitted to him by the time of publication.
-Nampa
