Zeraeua Traditional Authority Chief Christian Manasse Zeraua has expressed hope that the legal framework training undertaken by his counsels and staff will equip them to address conflicts.
Zeraeua voiced this on the sidelines of a one-week workshop underway at Otjiwarongo.
The Zaraeua Traditional Authority rules in Daures Constituency, where conflicts mainly revolve around land issues between communities, mining companies and small-scale farmers.
On these matters, Ombara Zeraeua hopes the legal training provided by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung will help address the complexities around the authority's powers and its limitations.
"There are things they don't know about, and this workshop is equipping them with the knowledge and tools so that when they get on the ground, they're able to administer our community affairs in accordance with the laws of the constitution or the Traditional Authority Act and Communal Land Reform Act," he said.
The chief also wants to see consultations between the government and the traditional authority, especially when allocating EPLs to prospective mining companies.
"We cannot afford to displace our farmers just because of these minerals that are found in our area. This country is rich enough that we can afford not to displace these people and still fit all of us equally. So I don't buy the idea that everywhere you find the minerals, they must be exploited. The government must approach us."
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung foundation's Dennis Zaire is the workshop moderator. He explained that "the importance of this intervention is basically to add value and input and build the capacity of the traditional authority in terms of understanding the key elements of the Namibian constitution, the Traditional Authorities Act, the Communal Land Reform Act and other pieces of legislation well. This is an engagement that we appreciate in terms of making sure that the traditional authorities are capacitated and that they can manage their affairs in the community more effectively for a better rule of law."