A group of community leaders and members, under the banner of Hai //om SAN Burning Issues, is calling for the removal of the current chief and leadership of the Hai //Om Traditional Authority, based at Seeringkop Resettlement Farm in the Kunene Region.
Leading the group, its Secretary General, Delila Ipinge, said they are opposed to the installation of Chief Alfred ||Khamuxab, who took over from his late father in 2025.
Ipinge argues that the Hai //Om community does not have a hereditary succession system.
According to Ipinge, the call for the removal of Chief ||Khamuxab and members of the Traditional Authority is based on the community's position that traditional leadership should not be determined through hereditary succession.
"Historically, the Hai //Om San people did not have a chieftainship, bloodline, or royal-house system based on hereditary succession, as found in some other traditional communities. Our approach to leadership must therefore reflect our values, traditions, participation, and the wishes of the Hai //Om community. In undertaking this process, we are relying on the applicable provisions of the Traditional Authorities Act of 2000, including Section 8, which provides for the removal of members of a traditional authority under specified circumstances."
Ipinge stated that the community is also unhappy with the process followed to develop a customary law document.
“Let me make it clear: this process is not about hatred, personal attacks, division, or disrespect. It is about accountability, transparency, unity, and participation, and ensuring that the voice of the Hai //Om San community is heard on matters affecting its traditional leadership and its future."
Meanwhile, Haub Khoen Traditional Authority Chief William /Aib said the current San leadership is failing to adequately address the needs and challenges of communities.
“The same applies to the Hai //Om Traditional Authority. Since 2004, the Hai //Om Traditional Authority has not benefited any community on these seven farms. The seven farms cannot accommodate seven communities. This is a discriminatory practice by the Namibian government. We are calling upon the President to address this situation and introduce programmes that will remedy the challenges facing the Hai //Om people."
In a written response, Hai //Om Chief Alfred Khamuxab stated that he was peacefully appointed by his late father and formally gazetted in 2025.
He said community members continue to benefit from employment opportunities, including 48 people hired for roadworks in Etosha and 60 for the construction of the Ongava Hai //Om Lodge.
On customary law, ||Khamuxab highlighted that consultations were held with chiefs under the Traditional Authority, while land negotiations are ongoing to accommodate landless communities.