The leadership of the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority has appealed to the Minister of Justice to look into approving the establishment of three-satellite community courts at Okongo, Eenhana and Omungwelume.

This call was made during a meeting between the minister, Yvonne Dausab, and the traditional authority leadership as well as community court officials.

Dausab is currently on a working visit to the Ohangwena, Oshana, and Oshikoto regions to source input on how best the ministry can work together with traditional authorities and community court officials.

This pertains to issues of dispute, crime, and other matters of concern.

The minister said she wants people to freely make use of community courts to get justice and reduce the backlog of cases at Magistrates' Courts.

"We want to make community courts better and more efficient. We want to make community courts a place where justice is served but also a place where our people, those in our communities, want to be part of. We want people to choose community courts over going to Magistrate's Courts."

She said traditional leaders have primary responsibilities to maintain peace and harmony among their communities and to promote traditions and customs among their subjects.

Ohangwena has a population of close to 300 thousand people, whom the traditional authority says are all served by one community court.

Some aggrieved people and witnesses have to travel about 300 kilometres to hear their cases in the region.

Dausab informed Ohamba of the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority, Martha Nelumbu, that the matters raised will be addressed.

"Meekulu, I want to tell you that we spent more time talking about the relationship between the community courts and customs, traditional culture, and the constitution. We talked about the re-introduction of village courts. We have promised that team that we will go back to Windhoek and put everything in writing and send it back. During the week, we promise that there will be some clarity provided around community courts."

The leaders also called for the increased allowance of court officials, who are currently earning N$30 per hour while assessors earn N$20 per hour.

This, she said, is not sufficient for one to live a decent life in addition to the high cost of living.

They also want the salaries of court clerks, messengers, and cleaners of the community courts to be increased.