Ovaherero Traditional Authority rejects calls to abolish paramount chieftaincy amid leadership dispute

The crisis escalated after academic professor Mutjinde Katjiua was elected leader in December 2021, a move opposed by chief Vipuira Kapuuo, chairman of the OTA Chiefs’ Council, who filed a High Court challenge in 2022. Competing factions subsequently crowned both Katjiua and academic Hoze Riruako as chiefs, leading to two claimants for the position. The matter is currently before the High Court, with estimated legal costs reaching N$10 million.

Apii Katjiruru, OTA institutional coordination representative, stated that abolishing the paramount chieftaincy is "legally and culturally not doable," emphasizing its establishment in 1863 and its importance for the Ovaherero's struggle for restorative justice regarding the genocide. The Ovaherero Youth Association supports Katjiua as the sole paramount chief. However, Asoli Progressive Party president Josef Kauandenge argues that both Katjiua and Riruako have significant support, and the High Court should determine the procedurally elected chief.

Kauandenge also questioned the paramount chieftaincy's current effectiveness in serving the socio-economic needs of the Ovaherero people. Percy Kapukare, an OTA and National Unity Democratic Organisation member, defended Katjiua's election and accused the government of interfering in tradit