WINDHOEK: President Nangolo Mbumba has warned that the integrity of traditional authorities is being put at risk by individuals aspiring to become chiefs and leaders , which has led to internal conflicts and leadership succession disputes . Opening the five – day 25th Annual Meeting of the Council of Traditional Leaders in Namibia here on Monday , Mbumba said the disputes continue to threaten peace and harmony within the regions . ‘ Everybody wants to be a chief … Everybody wants to be the next leader ,’ he said . The Head of State said such disputes not only result in conflict and lack of unity among members of the traditional community , but also often result in the government being forced to intervene and use public resources which could have been used for development . ‘ Instead , time and resources are used for conducting investigations and towards resolving disputes which can in most instances be easily resolved if parties follow their customary law ,’ Mbumba said . ‘ As traditional authorities , your p
rimary interest should be the advancement of the wider community and augmenting traditional values and norms . Let us learn to place our collective interests above our personal interests ,’ he urged . President Mbumba further noted that traditional authorities continue to play a crucial role in the Namibian democracy as the recognised custodians of culture and values in Africa . In particular , traditional authorities command respect and support while performing important functions that uphold the governance architectures of modern states . ‘ As a government we remain fully cognisant of the role our traditional authorities play in terms of promoting development and fostering unity , peace and social harmony , particularly in rural areas … This is why we will continue to acknowledge and accommodate our traditional leaders within the governance framework ,’ he said . Mbumba further said that while the government places a high premium on fighting hunger and poverty in Namibia , the success of dealing with the cu
rrent severe drought calls for unity . He said traditional authorities should ensure that no member of the community dies of hunger as efforts to address the drought have been put in place .

Source: The Namibia News Agency