Martin Endjala
The Daure Daman community in the Daures constituency in the Erongo region has threatened to go on strike until the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and the Daure Daman Traditional Authority (DATA) hear their concerns.
They are calling for the removal of the Daure Daman Traditional Authority Chief Sagarias Seibeb after a community no-confidence vote and to end nepotism and self-enrichment, among other things.
According to the group’s spokesperson, Jimmy Areseb, their decision to go on a strike follows failed attempts last year when they handed in their petition to the Seibeb and again in May this year.
“We are tired of talking. It’s now time to act, and we are going to act. We have organised a prolonged strike here in Daures, where we will go camping at the DATA office, and we will not leave there until we get feedback. This blatant ignorance and disrespect from TA and the minister can no longer be accepted,” argued Areseb.
Areseb further said that a community committee would also be selected to go to Windhoek on 29 July to meet with the minister and threatened not to return until it had engaged the minister, Erastus Uutoni.
The clan has been dissatisfied with their leadership for some time.
They accused Chief Seibeb of illegally awarding land and licenses to foreign investors for mining exploration purposes in the constituency behind closed doors.
They also accused Seibeb of pushing his own political agenda to please those in his circle at the expense of community members.
Areseb stated that the committee that will be travelling to Windhoek next Monday will remain in communication with the rest of the group in Daures, arguing that only when their petition has received a satisfactory response, will the group camping at the DATA office pack up and leave.
Denise Dausas, a community member who will be leading the protest on 25 July at the DATA office, said they will sleep there, cook, and set up tents until they are answered.
“For too long, we have been waiting for a response from the minister and the DATA, but nothing has been done to meet our demands. We have now resorted to taking things into our hands. We don’t care what will happen, come what may. We will camp onsite, and we will not move from there until we get answers,” she argued.
She said they’ll go the whole way and will protest and camp for months.
The community asserts that the DATA office operates independently. They also allege mismanagement of the traditional community’s funds, misuse of the traditional authority office, ignorance, and arrogance, all while disregarding the issues and concerns affecting the community, to name a few.
