Dismissed Ondonga leaders organise “illegal meetings” :Amupanda

ONGWEDIVA, 17 MAR – Acting Secretary of the Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) Council, Nepando Amupanda has rubbished allegations that King Immanuel Kauluma Elifas of Ondonga has authorised a community mass meeting to be held at Oluno this weekend.
Speaking to Nampa in a telephonic interview on Thursday, Amupanda said an audio recording which went viral via WhatsApp this week inviting all members of the Ondonga community to attend a meeting organised by the traditional leader’s office and scheduled for Saturday, is fake.
Amupanda stressed that neither King Elifas nor the OTA Council has mandated the organising of such a meeting.
“Those are the dismissed headmen playing their slanderous game by falsely using the office of the King to invite people to attend unauthorised meetings,” he alleged.
The audio recording allegedly indicates that the dismissed chairperson of the OTA Council, Peter Kauluma, has issued the invitation on behalf of Elifas’ office. It further explains that the meeting on Saturday is aimed at deciding on the location of the new office where members of the Ondonga community will pay customary levies.
Kauluma and other senior members of the OTA Council – Joseph Asino, Vilho Kamanya and John Walenga – were removed from their positions last year on charges of misconduct.
They were fired along with junior councillors Kashona kaMalulu, Fillemon Nambili and Tonata Ngulu.
Amupanda said on Thursday they have no mandate to call Ondonga community meetings.
The four senior councillors were replaced by Amupanda, Rainhold Nepolo, Naeman Kambala, Paavo Amwele and Erastus Mvula.
One of the organisers of the meeting, Keneth Iilonga confirmed Friday that the meeting will go ahead on Saturday, and that it will be addressed by the ‘so-called dismissed leaders’.
‘It correct for the audio to refer to Peter Kauluma as still the chairperson of the OTA Council, because the Ondonga community has confidence in his leadership and rejects the mysterious appointment of Nepando (Amupanda) and his team,’ Iilonga replied.

NAMPA