Despite an interim High Court interdict being granted on Saturday to halt the inauguration of a new chief, the Bondelswarts Traditional Authority went ahead with the coronation of Johannes Matroos at the weekend.
This has now divided the southern community, and also took place without the blessing of //Karas Regional Governor Lucia Basson.
Matroos was inaugurated as the new Bondelswarts chief on Saturday, hours after the interim interdict was granted.
Basson told Namibian Sun that her office had received two different names of people asking to be recognised as the new Bondelswarts chief.
She forwarded the names to the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, “seeking direction”.
“I told Matroos and others in a meeting that they should wait for the ministry to offer direction, as I had two names. It is not a problem if they went ahead with the ceremony, but it becomes problematic when they seek recognition from government. I knew it was important to seek advice from the ministry and to apply the customary law of the Bondelswarts tribe,” Basson said.
Asked what her opinion is with regard to customary law of the tribe, Basson said from what she understands, the new chief has to come from the Bondelswarts Royal House and the Christiaan bloodline.
“Only when there is no one from the royal family available, and from the bloodline, can they go and elect,” she said. Basson said that based on information at her disposal, Matroos is not from the royal house or the Christiaan bloodline.
“It is because of all of this that I told them to wait, as I seek advice and direction from the ministry, to ensure all parties are treated fairly,” she said.
Matroos replaces Acting Chief Josef Christiaan, who died in a car accident earlier this year.
The Christiaan leadership of the tribe dates back more than 200 years.
The application to have the inauguration ceremony halted was brought by Hendrik Christiaan, on behalf of the Bondelswarts Royal House.
It was initially struck off the court roll by Acting High Judge Collins Parker.
On Saturday, an urgent application was heard, after which Parker granted an interim interdict to halt the inauguration proceedings. All parties have to return to the court on 9 June.
The royal house asked the court to direct the Bondelswarts Traditional Authority to refrain from proceeding with the inauguration of the new chief.
In his affidavit, Christiaan, who is a member of the royal house, said the nomination of Matroos as a candidate for election is contrary to customary law, and is therefore unlawful.
He said that in terms of the customary law of the Bondelswarts tribe, the captain must be from the royal house and within the bloodline.
“Johannes Matroos is neither from the royal house nor from the bloodline,” the affidavit reads.
Son not eligible
The royal house also argues that the appointment of Matroos as a regent for the son of the late chief, until such a time when the son is eligible to ascend to the position, is a fallacy, as the regent must be a direct descendent of the Royal House and of the Christiaan bloodline.
They also argued that the son of the late Josef Christiaan himself isn’t eligible for the throne, as he was born out of wedlock and is not a Christiaan, but an Isaak, and was only recently baptised as Christiaan.
“As a child born out of wedlock, he is ineligible for the throne,” the affidavit reads.
Special advisor to the new chief, Desmund Andreas, said yesterday they were never served with the court interdict.
He said after he heard of the alleged court order, they went to the police station, but weren’t shown any interdict.
He explained that on Saturday afternoon, while the inauguration was underway, a police inspector came and told them to come to the police station, but no papers were served.
Andreas, however, admitted that Basson never signed the application for a new chief. He said the new chief was selected at a tribe meeting on 6 February.
“This was a tribe’s decision. The government procedure will take place afterwards, but this was a traditional ceremony after the tribe selected the new chief,” he added.
GORDON JOSEPH