Claims of royal descent in the Saldanha Bay area have caused discomfort amongst many residents.
Leading up to the inauguration of the king, the prince, and the second prince of the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom, which took place on Saturday, 19 July, at the Saldanha Bay Holiday Resort, a petition was set up by the West Coast Chariguriqua (Die Regte Baainaars) contesting the inauguration and received several signatures.
Brett Arendze, chief of the West Coast Chariguriqua, planned to hand over the petition to the group; yet, no one from the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom approached to receive it.
According to Arendze, the local indigenous people of Saldanha, many of whom have lived here for generations and trace their roots back centuries, were never consulted. Neil Ackers was inaugurated as king, Vernon Vraagom as prince, and Adrian Jonker as second prince.
“We have repeatedly asked for genealogical proof of this kingship and have received none. A formal rejection letter was submitted to them in May, yet they continue to ignore the will of the community.
We see this self-imposed coronation not only as misleading, but as a direct insult to the families of Saldanha who have protected and preserved this land and its heritage for hundreds of years,” said Arendze.
According to a member from another tribe, there has been no evidence supporting the history and lineage that the new king and princes are connected to Oedasoa. “We have gone through the archives for a week, and there has been no evidence.” The member believes that history is being twisted, and even though no evidence is provided, that people still fall for it.
According to Vernon Vraagom, when it comes to the bloodline and how he belongs to the Oedasoa tribe, he explained that his grandfather was born in 1888 on Klipvlei farm, where King Oedasoa was born and buried. Vraagom said that the Vraagoms and the Williams families are direct descendants of Oedasoa, and should anyone want the proof, he is willing to provide it.
“The Chochoqua Department gave us recognition and has confirmed that the two surnames, Vraagom and Williams, are on their records. It is our identity and we cannot run away from it,” he added.
According to Noel Joesph, spokesperson of the Oedasoa Cochoqua Royal Kingdom, the monarch and princess who were coronated are from another aboriginal cultural Khoikhoi tribe, which is not the San people. “They belong to another African Khoikhoi tribal formation, which is the Oedasoa Dynasty Cochoqua people.
The person or persons who are unhappy about the Khoikhoi coronation are requested to approach their own Chariguriqua office in Piketberg which may assist them with their dissatisfaction.
They may also approach the relevant government department that currently deals with traditional Khoi and San matters nationally.
Arendze said they remain committed to protecting the integrity, history, and rightful leadership of the indigenous people. “We will oppose any entity or individual seeking to exploit or misrepresent our heritage for personal gain.”
