The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, James Sankwasa, says the de-gazetted Chief of the Tsoaxu Daman Traditional Authority, Joshua Seibeb, could be reinstated if he complies with the ministry and community directives.
Sankwasa says the removal of Seibeb as Chief of the Tsoaxu Daman Traditional Authority took effect on 15 September 2025.
Minister Sankwasa explains that the removal of Seibeb follows his failure to implement a 2022 agreement concerning the appointment of senior and traditional councillors.
The Tsoaxu Daman Traditional Authority dispute goes back to a long-standing leadership conflict prior to Seibeb's official recognition as successor to the late Chief Bethuel Haraseb.
A member of the clan, Salathiel !Kharuxab, believes he had the rightful claim to the chieftainship after Haraseb's death.
The ministry intervened, and an agreement was reached in 2022 that Seibeb was to become chief on the condition that he appoint traditional councillors, including !Kharuxab.
"That was the agreement, and it was signed by both parties, him, Salathiel, Seibeb, and Gaseb from the national council – all these people signed. It was agreed that he would go back and, for the sake of peace, operate as a structure. Now Josua went back and never implemented that agreement; he continued doing business as usual on his own. That's part of the dispute. If he should have implemented it, he would still be in office."
Sankwasa says several follow-up meetings were held with Seibeb, but he did not abide by the resolutions of those meetings.
"After my appointment I summoned the disputed parties to my office, which was held under the leadership of the chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders, Chief Gaeb. During that meeting it transpired that one Josua Seibeb is not from the royal blood; neither is Salathiel !Kharuxab none of them, so therefore any one of them could be a chief."
Sankwasa says the community is expected to elect a new chief, or alternatively, should Seibeb implement the resolutions from the meeting of 16 April 2025 and those set by his community, only then will he be gazetted again.
"The authority to identify and appoint designated chiefs does not lie with the minister, so he can't appeal to my office because I don't appoint chiefs. Chiefs are identified by their own communities, so if he wants to become a chief again, he must deal with his own community. If the community sits and re-elects him and follows the same procedure, that is correct; my office has no issue with that."
Seibeb is no longer permitted to perform any functions in the capacity of Chief of the Tsoaxu Daman Traditional Authority.