Allexer Namundjembo
Rural and urban development minister James Sankwasa has reiterated that communal land across Namibia remains state property, warning traditional leaders against any attempts to treat or trade it as privately owned land.
Speaking at the coronation of VaGciriku Hompa Bartholomeus Aruvita Kayoka in Ndiyona on Saturday, Sankwasa said traditional leaders are entrusted with land administration on behalf of the government and must ensure that communal land is protected from illegal transactions.
“Land in every corner of the country is state property. It is not for the chief, not for the headman, because the chief and the headman are custodians of the government,” Sankwasa said.
He stressed that communal land cannot be sold and must be managed strictly within established legal procedures.
“So you have to watch out for that. Land can still be given to people, but it must follow procedures,” he said.
Sankwasa further referred to Article 66 of the Constitution, saying traditional authorities derive their mandate from the state and are therefore bound to act within the law in managing communal resources.
During his address, the minister also reflected on past leadership disputes within the VaGciriku Traditional Authority, noting that the succession contest had at one point involved three claimants – Simon Maruta, Muraghuli Felix Mashika, and Aruvita Kayoka – reaching the High Court.
“Their contestation ended up in the High Court, and then the High Court referred the matter back. In many cases, the court has noted that Namibia has its own traditions and customs. Chieftainship has never been decided in the court of law,” he said.
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, also speaking at the ceremony, called on the newly installed Hompa to revive and promote VaGciriku cultural practices as a means of strengthening identity, moral values, and national unity.
Ngurare urged the traditional leader to restore cultural teachings such as visho vya litembu, where elders guide young women on responsibility and womanhood, as well as socio-economic traditions including marudi, vitanda, vinconco, vintunga, and kurunga madiva, which he said historically promoted community cooperation and self-reliance.
He also encouraged the promotion of oral traditions and storytelling competitions, including matimo, ngano, visheve, and matambu, saying culture remains a foundation of national development.
“The strength of Namibia lies in the traditions, customs, and moral values that have united its diverse communities for generations,” Ngurare said, adding that his message aligned with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s call for national unity.
Former Deputy Prime Minister and works and transport minister John Mutorwa also addressed the gathering, giving an account of VaGciriku origins and migration history.
He said the VaGciriku trace their roots to areas along the Kwando and Zambezi rivers, extending into parts of present-day southeastern Zambia and northeastern Angola, before migrating southwards over time.
Mutorwa recounted oral traditions describing how hunters tracking a wounded elephant led the group toward the Kwito and Kavango rivers, before they eventually settled along the Kavango region after returning to collect those left behind.
Hundreds of people from Kavango East and West attended the coronation ceremony at the Ndiyona Traditional Authority office, marking the formal installation of Hompa Kayoka.
The vacancy in the VaGciriku Traditional Authority has officially come to an end following a protracted seven-year succession dispute that began after the death of Hompa Kassian Shiyambi in 2019.
The dispute, which split the royal family into competing factions, stalled key traditional governance functions, including land allocation and dispute resolution within the community.
In May, Sankwasa officially designated and inaugurated Bartholomeus Aruvita Kayoka as the new Hompa of the VaGciriku, with the formal coronation ceremony subsequently held on Saturday.
The leadership contest initially centred on two main claimants, Kayoka and his nephew, Muraghuli Felix Mashika, who were each backed by different sections of the royal family.
In 2023, the government had initially approved Mashika’s appointment. However, the matter was challenged in court, leading to a High Court ruling in January 2026 that overturned the decision on the basis that proper customary succession procedures had not been adequately verified.
The court subsequently referred the matter back to the ministry of urban and rural development to re-evaluate the succession in line with VaGciriku customary law.
Following consultations and further assessment, Sankwasa announced Kayoka as the rightful successor in early May 2026 and formally endorsed his installation as Hompa.
The resolution of the dispute marks the end of a lengthy leadership vacuum within the traditional authority and restores full traditional governance structures in the VaGciriku community.
