allAfrica.com: Namibia: Hereros Mourn Late Chief Tjikuua (Page 1 of 1)

Mourners are expected to converge on Okakarara and late Chief John Jaarurako Tjikuua's homestead village of Omupanda this weekend to pay him their last respects.

Chief Tjikuua will be laid to rest tomorrow at Ongombembonde (Waterberg), about three kilometres north of where he started school in 1940.

The official funeral programme begins midday today when the hearse arrives at the Red Flag commando in Okakarara where he will be saluted by the Royal army.

The hearse will then stop over at the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) office before proceeding to Omupanda where is it expected at 13h40.

Messages of condolences will then follow from 17h20 until nine o'clock in the evening.

The funeral service starts six o'clock in the morning tomorrow (Saturday) and is expected to last until eleven o'clock when the traditional funeral ritual takes place.

Although he was not recognised by Government, there is no mistaking that among his people he was a leader of note.

Since his passing at his house in Okakarara last Tuesday at the age of 76, the clarion call has been coming from every corner imaginable where Otjiherero is spoken for people to get ready for his burial, testimony to his undisputed leadership among his people and his likeability and popularity.

Among these voices was that of Ovambanderu Senior Chief Erastus Kahuure, who in paying tribute through the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Otjiherero Language Service's morning current affairs programme Keetute, earlier this week appealed to his people to get ready for the Chief's funeral.

Kahuure testified to the late Chief's wisdom and courage, having crossed paths with him several times, and swords as well - albeit not personally - during meetings, among these a meeting at the Namibia Institute for Educational Development (NIED) in Okahandja.

This was the time when the Ovambanderu sought an independent status for Otjimbanderu as a language.

Cautious not to cause ruptures in the fragile Ovambanderu/Ovaherero unity, late Chief Tjikuua was equally vocal about the possible divisive outcome of de-linking the two languages. He made his opposing views heard without disenchanting himself with the Ovambanderu, according to Kahuure.

Close associate in arms in the quest for the recognition of Ovaherero traditional leaders and kith and kin, Katuutire Kaura, says the Ovaherero shall sorely miss late Chief Tjikuua's leadership among them of close to 27 years. "It is very difficult to replace him," - this short acclamation belies Kaura's deeply-felt sense of loss and despair.

Late Chief Tjikuua was one of first learners to register with the Waterberg School when it opened its doors in 1940. He was seven years later to complete standard six (Grade 8) at the same school.

After completing this level of schooling, he became actively involved in Ovaherero traditional matters, especially the quest for freedom. In view of this membership of Chief Hosea Kutako's Chief's Council was natural. As being a co-founding member of the Protestant Unity Church, otherwise known as Oruuano, a breakaway group from the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

In this political activism configuration there was no way that he could escape also being a co-founder of the South West African National Union (Swanu) in 1959.

However, with the breakdown in détente between the Chief's Council and Swanu, heightened by differences between the Chief's Council and the Swanu young Turks, the late Tjikuua opted to remain with the Chief's Council. This saw him becoming part of the team that nominated Clemence Kapuuo as assistant to Chief Kutako in 1960.

When the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) was formed in 1964, late Chief Tjikuua was not only part and parcel of the initiative but one of its prime movers.

In 1970 after the death of Chief Kutako he became part of his successor Chief Clemence Kapuuo's Chief's Council. He also played an instrumental part in meetings leading to the formation of the Namibia National Convention (NNC) in 1972.

When the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) was formed in 1977 Chief Tjikuua became its co-founder. He was elected Chief with the passing away of Chief Ludwig Ndinda of Okakarara in 1981, a position he has held until his departure last Tuesday.

When Okakarara was proclaimed a town he became the first mayor. Tjikuua has until his passing on been at the forefront of efforts to gain official recognition from an independent Namibian Government for 46 Ovaherero traditional leaders.

This matter reached the High Court in 1999 that decided that the Government should revisit the recognition of most of these leaders except five who had since passed on and one who withdrew from the court case.

He was seized with the matter up and until his death, having successfully petitioned the Ombudsman for the payment of part of the litigation costs by the Government to the tune of N$46,000.

Chief Tjikuua also petitioned the United Nations with regard to the same issue in 2006, a petition that he repeated at the beginning of this year. He was also awaiting the response of the Ombudsman on their petition that the Government considers the recognition of the Ovaherero chiefs as directed by the High Court.

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