Also known as: Chief Riruako · Dr Hoze Riruako · Dr. Hoze Riruako
Ovaherero Traditional Authority chief claiming paramount chief position, advocates for land allocation and genocide reparations in ongoing factional dispute.
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The Namibian
Hoze Riruako said the genocide issue cuts across tribal affiliation and should be treated as an issue that affected all Namibians
“the newly installed Ovaherero splinter group chief Hoze Riruako said the genocide issue cuts across tribal affiliation and should be treated as an issue that affected all Namibians.”
Matter Of Fact: Hoze RiruakoThe Namibian
Hoze Riruako said affected communities want to reclaim what they have lost through solidarity with other Namibians and the government needs to be a key stakeholder
“However, Riruako said affected communities want to reclaim what they have lost through solidarity with other Namibians and the government needs to be a key stakeholder to facilitate the move.”
Matter Of Fact: Hoze RiruakoThe Ovaherero Traditional Authority, which currently has two paramount chiefs both claiming legitimacy, insists its people remain united despite factional divisions. OTA officials said at Red Flag Day commemorations that internal skirmishes do not constitute division, and framed the remembrance as collective memory tied to the 1904–1908 genocide and ongoing pursuit of reparations.
14 hours ago · The Namibian →
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority, which currently has two paramount chiefs both claiming legitimacy, insists its people remain united despite factional divisions. OTA officials said at Red Flag Day commemorations that internal skirmishes do not constitute division, and framed the remembrance as collective memory tied to the 1904–1908 genocide and ongoing pursuit of reparations.
14 hours ago · The Namibian →
Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa has raised alarm over what he described as "underground capture" of Namibia's traditional authorities, warning that certain individuals are attempting to destabilise customary leadership structures. He stressed that recognition of traditional leaders will follow customary laws and cultural practices, and cautioned against what he termed the "over-democratisation" of traditional authorities.
17 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah did not attend Genocide Remembrance Day events held at Shark Island and in six regions, drawing criticism from political and community leaders, though the vice president attended events in Ohangwena. The president's absence came despite an active public schedule that included attending agricultural and cultural festivals and other state events.
31 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Four years after being brought to the High Court in 2022, the battle over the Paramount Chief position of the Ovaherero remains unsettled. Ovitoto chief Vipuira Kapuuo, chairman of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority's Chiefs' Council, contends that customary law dictates the council chairman becomes acting paramount chief upon the death of the incumbent; he is seeking a court order to declare himself acting paramount chief and to nullify a December 2021 meeting where academic Mutjinde Katjiua was elected paramount chief.
18 May 2026 · New Era →
Legal costs in the dispute over the Ovaherero Traditional Authority paramount chieftaincy have reached an estimated N$10 million. Chief Vipuira Kapuuo continues his court challenge against professor Mutjinde Katjiua's claim to the position, arguing that as chairperson of the Chief's Council he is the rightful acting paramount chief and that a council meeting held in December 2021 that endorsed Katjiua was unlawful.
8 May 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Presidency clarified that Hoze Riruako's meeting with President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah should not be interpreted as recognition of him as paramount chief of the OvaHerero Traditional Authority, saying the matter remains before the courts and the executive cannot decide issues under judicial adjudication. The traditional authority has been disputed between Riruako's and Mutjinde Katjiua's factions.
10 March 2026 · The Namibian →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah met with Hoze Riruako of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority to discuss land, genocide reparations, and community concerns. Riruako described the engagement as constructive and emphasized the importance of continued dialogue on historical issues.
7 March 2026 · Informanté →
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority faction led by Hoze Riruako met President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to advocate for quota-based land allocation for historically dispossessed communities, restitution of ancestral land rights, and renewed negotiations with Germany over 1904–1908 genocide reparations. Riruako said the Ovaherero community wants these issues addressed through Namibia's own development policies rather than relying solely on German compensation, and urged the government to formally recognize early liberation fighters and traditional leaders.
6 March 2026 · New Era →
Ovaherero Traditional Authority chief Hoze Riruako has called on the government to allocate unoccupied land to the Herero population rather than wait for genocide reparation negotiations to conclude, clarifying that the initiative does not aim to reclaim legally acquired private land.
6 March 2026 · The Namibian →