Situation at Vaalgras remains untenable

CONCERNED RESETTLEMENT VICTIM WRITES:It is true that the entire Government of Namibia is marred by institutional corruption.Why am I saying this? Because even a Traditional Authority without any funds or proper staff can also be corrupt. I must perhaps put it peremptorily that many Traditional Authorities don't understand their role, powers and functions.What they don't understand is that the land under their jurisdiction is "state land" to start off with. Someone should perhaps explain to them in laymen's language that they are administering state land as caretakers on behalf of the central government. As all might be well aware, they resort under the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development.It is quite interesting that all three to four ministers who headed this portfolio are receiving the same, matching orders from the ruling Swapo Party, or from the special aide to the incumbent, yet deposed chief at Vaalgras, who is by now known to all of us. The latter's influence is apparently so critical that the ministers rather elect to break a law that they have enacted in Parliament at the taxpayers' expense.The Traditional Authorities Act No. 25 of 2000 is explicitly clear that a chief can be removed, if sufficient reasons exist for such an action. We from Vaalgras did this already on the 4th of June 2011 by following all the due processes and the applicable regulatory laws. All that is needed is for Hon. Peya Mushelenga to sign our submission and to forward it to H.E. the President for his signature to finalize this regrettable process.The incumbent chief has been in this position for 36 years, which in itself is a way too long and is now illegal in this position for another 9 years after he has been removed. In actual fact he is in this position on the camaraderie ticket of the ruling Swapo Party and at the mercy of Comrade Minister Mushelenga.The people of Vaalgras wanted to remove them (the VTA) forcefully.The authority has a proclivity of refusing to allocate grazing land to applicants who aren't their staunch supporters. The same with provision of water through the Directorate Rural Water Supply and confirmation letters for people who are applying for resettlement. We have complained about this on numerous occasions through the media as well as directly to the authorities concerned, but to no avail.The Vaalgras Traditional Authority has refused on the 3rd of January 2020 to give a confirmation letter to apply for the recently advertised resettlement farm, viz. Brandwag in the //Kharas region. They apparently have a dispute with me about the controversial Farm Heichas, a case that they have lost in the Köes circuit court on the 18th of September 2018 on the basis of insufficient evidence about the ownership of the farm.I would've given such a difficult member of the community that confirmation letter to leave my jurisdiction area so I can get rid of him/her.I'm of the opinion that the Minister of Urban and Rural Development is instrumental in the suffering of the people of Vaalgras, a settlement that he doesn't know. My advice is that traditional leaders be stripped of certain powers, which they think make them very powerful. They must be told that they are infringing on the fundamental human rights of the people, knowingly or unknowingly.

Situation at Vaalgras remains untenable

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Republikein 2025-07-09

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Situation at Vaalgras remains untenable

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