The Namibian government is concerned over the mushrooming of traditional authorities, leadership succession battles, and disputes amongst traditional authorities.

Vice President Nangolo Mbumba highlighted the concern when he opened the 24th Annual Meeting of the Council of Traditional Leaders on behalf of President Hage Geingob at Swakopmund.

"Government is dragged into the midst of these avoidable disputes, which not only cause divisions among communities but are also time-consuming, taking the necessary time and resources that would best be served on matters of priority, such as the war against poverty and disease. Furthermore, constant applications are being received for the recognition of new traditional authorities, communities, and leaders, a situation that, if accommodated, may not only become financially unsustainable but also lead to further tribal divisions within the Namibian House. I, therefore, call on you once again, esteemed traditional leaders, to continue to work hand in hand with the government in deepening and strengthening peace, unity, and inclusive development."

Namibia has 53 recognised traditional authorities, and 13 of them are leaderless.

The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development has also received seven new applications from communities requesting recognition, while there are four pending court cases related to disputes.

A call has been made to the leaders to settle disputes by striking a balance between traditional practices and existing regulations, as well as through dialogue.

"Succession disputes within the traditional authorities can be better addressed by the traditional authorities themselves through the applicable customary laws. My office has no direct influence in decision-making without the cooperation of the members of the traditional communities. Furthermore, with limited resources at our disposal, we were forced to investigate some of these problems, but failures by members of the Traditional Communities to reach an agreement in honouring the decisions and recommendations of the investigation committee made our efforts unsuccessful and, in the end, a waste of public resources," said Urban and Rural Development Minister, Erastus Uutoni.

Also speaking at the event was Gaob Immanuel |Gâseb, Chairperson of the Council of Traditional Leaders, who believes it is better to settle succession disputes through customary law.

"I call upon all traditional authorities to abide by and accord respect to their customary laws and to move away from tendencies to solve succession disputes in court. It is best that these disputes are resolved through customary law. Court cases are the reasons why some traditional authorities don't have chiefs to lead them, and in the end, the administration of the traditional authorities becomes incomplete."

Among other issues, the five-day event will allow traditional leaders to discuss matters of nation-building.