[allAfrica.com] [Take_allAfrica.com_with_you] Tribal Clash Looms New Era (Windhoek) NEWS October 21, 2004 Posted to the web October 21, 2004 By Leonard Amadhila Windhoek Burning Owambo Dispute THE Oukwanyama tradi-tional authority has warned of possible confrontation if the government does not step in to stop the Ondonga tribal authority from instal-ling a senior headman in an area claimed by both autho-rities as being under their jurisdiction. Following the persistence of the Ondonga Traditional Authority to go ahead with the move that has been postponed on two occasions, the Oukwanyama authority has called on the government to intervene urgently in "the burning border dispute". Spokesperson of the Ou-kwan-yama Traditional Au-thority, Michael Heita, told New Era yesterday that the government through the line ministry must take action and stop the Ondonga Traditional Authority from going ahead with the installation of a senior headman at Ekoka, which according to him has always resorted under the Oukwanyamas since decades ago. Heita said there continues to be movements of the Ondonga people at the site where they want to install the senior headman, saying that if the government continues with its wait-and-see attitude, this may result in confron-tation between the two tribes. Heita said if government is not pro-active in warding off the looming confron- tation, the two groups may be forced to take the law into their own hands. The Ekoka residents, ac-cor-ding the Heita, have vowed to stop the Ondonga people by whatever means if they continue with their intentions. Ondonga King Eliphas Kauluma confirmed to New Era on Tuesday that the installation process was called off because the On-donga kingdom was informed that one of the headman in Ekoka, who is Oshikwan-yama-speaking, allegedly erected a structure at the place where the senior headman was supposed to be installed. Kauluma confirmed that a delegation comprising of council members and other headmen from the Ondonga Traditional Authority were dispatched to the area to inspect the place before the ceremony. King Kauluma was ada-mant that the installation might be conducted today if the team comes back with a positive report. The Oukwanyama Tradi-tional Authority has declared a dispute in a written letter to Chief Munyuku Nguvauva, who is a deputy to King Eliphas Kauluma in the Traditional Council, reques-ting him to intervene in the matter. "We are informing you of a disturbing incident com-mitted by the Ondonga Tra- ditional Authority in its attempt to install a certain Tileinge Hapulile as a senior counsel of Ekoka. Ekoka is an integral part of Oukwan-yama and is under the Ou-kwan-yama Tradi-tional Au-thority," reads the letter. It further notes that the said area of Ekoka is currently under the leadership of headman Mwapangasha Phi-lemon, under senior headman Stephanus Weyulu. In another letter written to King Eliphas Kauluma, the Oukwanyama Tribal Au- thority expressed their disap-pointment with the action to install Hapulile. "In view of the seriousness of this inci-dent, the Oukwanyama au-thority has declared the disputes over the Ekoka issue and other areas that are under the jurisdiction of the Ou-kwan-yama " "We have further reques-ted Chief Nguvauva to prevail over your authority to desist in its attempt in Ekoka, especially during the period leading up to the presidential, general and local council elections, as the country needs peace to accomplish those elections." Meanwhile, Heita recalled that disputes of the border between the two tribes erup-ted during the leadership of Martin Kadhikwa in 1931 after the death of Mandume Ndemufayo, adding that at that time, the border was at Omufilonga, south-west of Ekoka "and now the Ondonga authority claims that Ekoka belongs to them, which never was the case". "We the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority and residents of Ekoka will not accept the change of the border now." Attempts to get comment from the Ministries of Re-gional and Local Government and Housing proved futile.   ===============================================================================  Copyright © 2004 New Era. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ===============================================================================