 He was a member of the founding committee of the South West Africa National Union (SWANU) in 1958.He resigned as a teacher in 1960 when he was appointed deputy chief to Hosea Kutako.The Herero chiefs council also appointed him as the automatic successor to Hosea Kutako, who was then old, as they feared that the South African authorities would try to take advantage of the death of Kutako to impose their own nominee as chief.