Also known as: Mutjide Katjiua · Professor Mutjinde Katjiua · Dr Mutjinde Katjiua · chief Katjiua
Academic elected paramount chief of Ovaherero Traditional Authority in 2021, whose claim is disputed by rival faction led by Chief Vipuira Kapuuo in ongoing High Court litigation.
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August 2026
The Namibian
Chief Mutjinde Katjiuaallegedthat Kapuuo's faction appointed representatives to genocide joint declaration committee
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“The statement, issued by chief Janee Mujahere on behalf of the OTA chairperson, counters assertions made by chief Katjiua during a press conference last week, where he alleged that Kapuuo's faction had appointed representatives to the genocide joint declaration committee, a position both factions have opposed.”
Paramount chief Mutjinde Katjiuaaffirmed thatAmnesty brings international legal expertise and historic friendship with Namibia to assist in securing justice
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“Speaking to the Windhoek Observer yesterday, paramount chief Mutjinde Katjiua of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) affirmed that the organisation brings both international legal expertise and a historic friendship with Namibia to assist in securing justice for the Nama and Ovaerero people.”
“Katjiua, who has campaigned for reparations since 1993, has argued that the Ovaherero people must have a meaningful role in all matters concerning genocide and reparations.”
Dr Mutjinde Katjiuaannounced thatAmnesty International filed papers to join the case as Amicus Curiae
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“"Today, Amnesty International filed papers to join our case as Amicus Curiae," Katjiua announced at a press conference held on Tuesday, 11 August 2026.”
Mutjinde Katjiuasaidthis at Red Flag Day commemorations on behalf of one traditional authority faction
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“Current chief of one faction Mutjinde Katjiua, on behalf of one traditional authority faction, said this at Red Flag Day (Otjiserandu) commemorations at Okahandja over the weekend.”
Academic Mutjinde Katjiuawas elected asparamount chief at meeting in December 2021
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“A meeting held later that year, in 2021, in the absence of Kapuuo, however, resulted in the electing of academic Mutjinde Katjiua as paramount chief.”
Mutjinde Katjiuais involved ina court dispute over paramount chief leadership with Riruako's faction
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“Despite the traditional authority being recognised by the government, it still remains without a recognised paramount chief due to a dispute currently before the courts involving two factions – Riruako's and Mutjinde Katjiua's.”
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority faction led by chief Vipuira Kapuuo has rejected assertions by chief Mutjinde Katjiua's rival faction regarding genocide negotiations, reaffirming that the OTA's official stance on the proposed Joint Declaration on Genocide between Namibia and Germany remains unchanged and that any representation on a joint declaration committee would not be official.
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority faction led by chief Vipuira Kapuuo has rejected assertions by chief Mutjinde Katjiua's rival faction regarding genocide negotiations, reaffirming that the OTA's official stance on the proposed Joint Declaration on Genocide between Namibia and Germany remains unchanged and that any representation on a joint declaration committee would not be official.
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority has rejected calls to abolish the paramount chieftaincy amid an ongoing leadership dispute between rival factions over succession following the 2021 death of paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro. The matter is currently in the High Court, with competing factions supporting different candidates and legal costs reaching an estimated N$10 million.
Amnesty International has filed court papers seeking to join litigation against a Joint Declaration between Namibian and German governments that would offer €1.1 billion in reparations for the 1904 and 1908 Nama/Ovaherero genocide, according to the Ovaherero Traditional Authority. The agreement, expected to be signed before year-end, is being challenged by traditional authorities and the Landless People's Movement who argue the compensation falls short of demands.
The Ovaherero Traditional Authority has maintained its rejection of the Namibia-Germany joint declaration on the 1904-08 genocide, accusing the governments of excluding descendants of victims from negotiations. The OTA, alongside the Landless People's Movement and Nama Traditional Leaders Association, has taken the matter to the High Court.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Nama Traditional Leaders Association held a weeklong remembrance event at Lüderitz to educate Namibians about crimes committed against Nama and Ovaherero communities by the German colonial regime. The event brought together descendants and traditional leaders to transfer knowledge of the atrocities and their ongoing impact, with calls for the genocide to be integrated into formal education and for government action on historical injustices.
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.