Pandemic delays naming of new chief
RUNDU – The vaGciriku royal family says the closure of national borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the process of nominating a new traditional leader.
The vaGciriku traditional community has been without a traditional leader since the death of Hompa Kassian Shiyambi who died at the age of 82 in November last year.
“We have not finalised anything yet. We decided that when the borders will be opened is when we will call other members of our family who reside on the Angolan side so that we can finalise [the matter],” said Simon Maruta, who is from vaGciriku royal lineage.
“Because they also have to be here so that we are on the same page, we are looking at September when the borders will be opened. We have started the process of identification of the successor who will succeed the late Hompa.”
A senior traditional councillor
Festus Shikerete said the authority is guided by the royal family on the succession issue.
“We are waiting for the royal family – as the traditional authority we are not involved in that,” he said.
The late Hompa Shiyambi was the vaGciriku traditional leader after the death of the then Hompa Sebastian Kamwanga. Kamwanga’s reign was from 1985 till he died in 1999.