Ovaherero Paramount chief succession

 

 

First and foremost, we need to understand what a paramount chief is, his role and responsibilities, and the meaning of the term paramount chief. The term paramount chief means a person nominated and elected by his people and installed as paramount chief.

The paramount chief is a community leader and his tasks involve - among others - protecting community safety and resolving disputes. He further act to solve their collective problems related to the management and uses of common-pool-resources- be it land, fisheries, forestry, water resources, grazing lands, security, conflict resolution, defense, and to safeguard their community cultural norms and practices.

When that man who bestowed the above-mentioned activities is no more, then the nation that his leading is at the crossroad. The external forces and internal forces that were aiming to destroy his nation are throwing parties, thinking that, they got a chance now once again to wideout this nation. Little did they know that Ovaherero vatja ikwaterwa kairanderwa ondwa ndji.

Why does the paramount chief succession is of utmost interest to the public on who should ascend that higher position? Perusing through the history of this chieftaincy the only paramount chief of Ovaherero who sat on this paramount chiefdom uncontested was Maharero in 1861 who lead the Ovaherero nation until 1890.  This chiefdom from Samuel Maharero, Hosea Kutako, Clemens Kapuuo, Dr. Kuaima Riruako, and Advocate Vekuii Rukoro has dispute on the succession processes on who should be the successor.

The narrative that is being painted or preached is that when the process of succession is being executed there are internal and external forces that are questioning the process of succession its legitimize and as Ovaherero nation we have been there, and questioned that too. This is a crucial issue in a nation that practices a democratic process.

This should not both those who are questioned and those who are questioning this is democracy at its best. Therefore, what is worrisome are the politics of character assignation and questioning certain individuals about their lineage. Let me draw you closer to two main things that make one Omuherero.  We are the dual kinship system, that characterised by its dual descent system, which structures its members into Oruzo (patrilineage) and Eanda (matrilineage).

While we are dual kinship systems, the matrilineage system is of utmost significance because one gets through the maternal side, and this matrilineal (Eanda), is fundamental. The matrilineal is inherent through birth, and you can’t lose or gain it. To give an illustration one can have a child with a non-Omuherero person but that child will be half Omuherero because he/she will gain your patrilineal system but not matrilineal. So questioning someone who has the dual kinship system that uniquely makes one fully an Omuherero is character assignation because your argument has no bases.

Ovaherero nation went through these challenges, and the division you are seeing amongst the nation is not caused by certain individuals or a group of people. These are the results of the nations that went through atrocities 100 years ago. This is scientifically proven the aftermath of genocide in the 100 generations is division among that race or ethnic group. Having said that, our common enemies that instill and add fuel to this division is the government, which is using the divide rule strategies in the fight to have access to represent us in the genocide matters.

To address the issue that lay ahead of us is when we put our ambition and focus on the nation’s ambitions. What is the nation’s ambition in restorative justice for our people? As a nation that has the structure of leadership, we should use those structures to resolve those issues that raise amongst us, we can’t resolve these matters outside the structure.

In my conclusion Ouherero ounene pweṱe let those who have hearing ears hear what that means.