When Ohamba (a traditional name for King or Queen) Mandume yaNdemufayo abandoned his capital at Ondjiva in southern Angola after his defeat by the Portuguese military at Omongwa in 1915, he relocated to Oihole in southern Angola.
Situated roughly 6 km north of Odibo, Oihole was occupied by a powerful Elenga, Ndjukuma Shilengifa, at the time. It has been suggested by some historians that Shilengifa was aggrieved after having to vacate Oihole and assisted the South African military in its campaign against Mandume.
The South African administration abolished the heredity kingship after Mandume’s death and replaced it with a Council of Headmen. Shilengifa was ‘rewarded’ by being appointed as chief of the Ovakwanyama. He held the position until his death in 1934 and was buried under a fig tree at Omhedi.
Shilengifa was succeeded by Senior Headman Nehemia Shoovaleka from 1935 to 1966 and Senior Headman Gabriel Kautwima. Omhedi was later abandoned by Kautwima.
A committee to investigate the restoration of the Oukwanyama kingship for Ovakwanyama living in Namibia was formed in 1993. It was tasked to investigate the revival, conservation and preservation of the Ovakwanyama culture and traditions, including the identification of a new Ohamba.
Cornelius Mwetupunga Shelungu was named Ohamba on 6 February 1996, on the anniversary of the death of Mandume in 1917 and inaugurated in November 1996. Omhedi was chosen as the seat of the palace of Oukwanyama in Namibia, but a lack of funds delayed its completion.
Following Ohamba Shelungu’s death on 3 November 2005, Martha Mwadinomho yaKristian Nelumbu was crowned as Ohamba on 12 November 2005.The royal palace at Omhedi was inaugurated on the same day.
Meekulu Ohamba Nelumbu, who was born at Oifidi in southern Angola in 1934, succeeded Shelungu and made history as the first ruling female Ohamba of the Ovakwanyama. She presides over a traditional authority consisting of 12 districts, 59 clusters and 607 wards. During her nearly two-decades-long reign, she has been lauded for her exemplary leadership and selfless service to Oukwanyama and Namibia. A large number of orphaned children and homeless adults have been supported and accommodated at the Palace for several years. She has also been the driving force behind the establishment of a kindergarten for children from four to six years old at Omedhi and has been engaged in youth education and empowerment.
An honourary doctorate degree was conferred on Meekulu Ohamba Nelumbu by the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) on 3 May 2024. An extract of the citation reads as follows: “Ohamba Meekulu Martha Mwadinomho ya Kristian Nelumbu yOvakwanyama traditional authority and a grass-root leader for the Namibian Nation has demonstrated her dedication and willingness to selflessly support Namibians in resolving the many vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the Namibian society through charity, volunteering, and active citizenship thus advancing in no less degree the course of humanity.”
During my many years of visiting Owambo, I have been privileged to meet Meekulu Nelumbu personally on three occasions. The first time was in June 2008 when I was invited to enjoy some oshikundu and to lay two bricks at an extension of the palace. During this and two subsequent visits in 2013 and 2020, I became aware of her dedication to society.
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