OvaHerero youth defend Rukoro The OvaHerero Cultural Youth League (OCYL) has come out in defence of their paramount chief, Vekuii Rukoro, who has been accused of tribalism by the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL). Rukoro has been criticised for calling the Namibian government an “Owambo” government.
Rukoro said this in reaction to the minister of urban and rural development, Sophia Shaningwa, who gave permission to the Maharero Royal House Traditional Authority to commemorate Red Flag Day on land apparently owned by the OvaHerero Traditional Authority.
In a strongly worded statement the OCYL claimed that some people are being used by what they called the “Owambo” government to disrupt the peace and cohesion among the OvaHerero people.
“And to ensure that the Owambo government will rule this Namibia for 100 years to come,” the statement read.
According to the statement signed by the secretary-general of the OCYL, Veneruru Korumbo, a meeting allegedly took place at Okalongo in the North, where a strategy for keeping the OvaHerero people divided was discussed.
According to Korumbo, the meeting resolved to pit the OvaHerero against each other, to frustrate them at any given opportunity, to remove them from key positions and to limit their intake in the army.
Korumbo also questioned the eagerness of the SPYL to condemn Rukoro’s remarks but remaining quiet when Omaheke Governor Festus Ueitele recently said some members of the OvaHerero community were backstabbers who practised double standards and did not seem to respect other tribes.
“They did not comment or even advise him, why? Simply, because he is Oshiwambo speaking and in the Owambo government. Ueitele’s remarks were against the tribe non-grata, while Rukoro’s refer to the executive tribe. They therefore have hit a raw nerve,” the statement read.
According to OCYL member Veparura Handura Kandirikirira the so-called Okalongo resolutions are clearly being implemented already.
“If you look at the army, there are almost no OvaHerero persons recruited. We know these things because our sources from within the Owambo community are the ones that told us,” he said.
JEMIMA BEUKES