Amushelelo caught in Rani ‘office’ web
Police accused of acting as bodyguards for foreign businesses
Lawyer Kadhila Amoomo has accused the Namibian Police of bending over backwards to protect the interests of foreign-owned businesses.
A High Court order banning social justice activist Michael Amushelelo from stepping foot on any premises owned by the Rani Group meant that Amushelelo could not attend a disciplinary hearing of several Rani employees who were suspended after questioning their working conditions.
This is due to the fact that the offices of Employee Placement Services Namibia (EPSN), the labour hire agency through which the workers are contracted, are situated in a complex owned by the local retail group.
Amushelelo entered the premises nonetheless yesterday, a move that subsequently led to his arrest by the Namibian police, claiming he violated the court order that barred him from going within 200 metres close to properties owned by Rani Group.
Violation of court order
Confirming the arrest was Oshana regional police commander Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, who told Namibian Sun that his team of police attended to a call from the complainant that Amshushelo, who is in the leadership structures of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) political party, violated the protection order that was granted against him and other party leaders on 19 December 2023.
“The police received a call that Amushelelo was in violation of the protection order, and the police acted upon it and arrested him,” Sakaria indicated.
Amushelelo’s lawyer, Kadhila Amoomo, is, however, of the view that his clients’ arrest “is an obvious political witch hunt."
“Amushe is not a flight risk. If he violated any court order, he can simply be summoned to court. The police are unable to arrest the killers of Avihe and Magdalena Stoffells to this date. They rather waste state resources by behaving like the bodyguards of foreign-owned businesses who are exploiting the labour of our people,” Amoomo said.
The details
A Namibian Sun probe into the matter unearthed that Amushelelo had gone to the complex to witness the hearing of the employees who were suspended by the company for taking part in a peaceful demonstration on 15 December, without having applied for leave.
The purpose of that demonstration emanated from allegations of workers being exploited and underpaid by their employer.
The workers who work for Rani Group are employed through a labour hire agency owned by Swapo’s Tsumeb Constituency councillor, Gotty Ndjendjela.
With the hearings taking place at EPSN offices, which are within the Rani Group complex, and questions as to why EPSN is holding the hearings in a venue that would automatically mean that Amushelelo would violate the court order, Ndjendjela explained that third parties are not part and parcel of the internal disciplinary hearings.
No legal basis
Several disgruntled workers who spoke on condition of anonymity felt the venue was deliberately chosen to prevent Amushelelo from attending the proceedings.
As per a copy of a letter that was given to an employee stipulating their rights, the workers who are on paid suspension were informed that they can only be represented by fellow colleagues.
Ndjendjela said EPSN does not have any recognition agreement with a union; hence, there was no legal basis for Amushelelo or any third party to represent the workers.
He further said even if the EPSN offices were over 200 metres away from the Rani Group property, Amushelelo or any third party would not have been part of such a sitting as long as they were not recognised to represent the interests of the workers.
Wasted resources
NEFF national coordinator and second in command, Kalimbo Iipumbu, told Namibian Sun that Amushelelo went to the EPSN offices under the mandate of the political party.
Asked why they allowed Amushelelo to go to a premises that is in violation of the court order, Iipumbu said that he was sent there to go and observe the process at the EPSN offices and not to interfere with the operations of the Rani Group.
“There are a lot of business houses in that complex; are you saying that we cannot go to those businesses? If Amushelelo did something wrong at the EPSN offices, we would understand such an arrest. As for now, that arrest is politically motivated,” he said.
“Instead of the police focusing on diverting resources to important issues in terms of fighting crime, they go and arrest someone who is fighting for the interests of fellow Namibians who are being underpaid and exploited by their employer.”
Amushelelo is likely to appear in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court today.
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This is due to the fact that the offices of Employee Placement Services Namibia (EPSN), the labour hire agency through which the workers are contracted, are situated in a complex owned by the local retail group.
Amushelelo entered the premises nonetheless yesterday, a move that subsequently led to his arrest by the Namibian police, claiming he violated the court order that barred him from going within 200 metres close to properties owned by Rani Group.
Violation of court order
Confirming the arrest was Oshana regional police commander Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, who told Namibian Sun that his team of police attended to a call from the complainant that Amshushelo, who is in the leadership structures of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) political party, violated the protection order that was granted against him and other party leaders on 19 December 2023.
“The police received a call that Amushelelo was in violation of the protection order, and the police acted upon it and arrested him,” Sakaria indicated.
Amushelelo’s lawyer, Kadhila Amoomo, is, however, of the view that his clients’ arrest “is an obvious political witch hunt."
“Amushe is not a flight risk. If he violated any court order, he can simply be summoned to court. The police are unable to arrest the killers of Avihe and Magdalena Stoffells to this date. They rather waste state resources by behaving like the bodyguards of foreign-owned businesses who are exploiting the labour of our people,” Amoomo said.
The details
A Namibian Sun probe into the matter unearthed that Amushelelo had gone to the complex to witness the hearing of the employees who were suspended by the company for taking part in a peaceful demonstration on 15 December, without having applied for leave.
The purpose of that demonstration emanated from allegations of workers being exploited and underpaid by their employer.
The workers who work for Rani Group are employed through a labour hire agency owned by Swapo’s Tsumeb Constituency councillor, Gotty Ndjendjela.
With the hearings taking place at EPSN offices, which are within the Rani Group complex, and questions as to why EPSN is holding the hearings in a venue that would automatically mean that Amushelelo would violate the court order, Ndjendjela explained that third parties are not part and parcel of the internal disciplinary hearings.
No legal basis
Several disgruntled workers who spoke on condition of anonymity felt the venue was deliberately chosen to prevent Amushelelo from attending the proceedings.
As per a copy of a letter that was given to an employee stipulating their rights, the workers who are on paid suspension were informed that they can only be represented by fellow colleagues.
Ndjendjela said EPSN does not have any recognition agreement with a union; hence, there was no legal basis for Amushelelo or any third party to represent the workers.
He further said even if the EPSN offices were over 200 metres away from the Rani Group property, Amushelelo or any third party would not have been part of such a sitting as long as they were not recognised to represent the interests of the workers.
Wasted resources
NEFF national coordinator and second in command, Kalimbo Iipumbu, told Namibian Sun that Amushelelo went to the EPSN offices under the mandate of the political party.
Asked why they allowed Amushelelo to go to a premises that is in violation of the court order, Iipumbu said that he was sent there to go and observe the process at the EPSN offices and not to interfere with the operations of the Rani Group.
“There are a lot of business houses in that complex; are you saying that we cannot go to those businesses? If Amushelelo did something wrong at the EPSN offices, we would understand such an arrest. As for now, that arrest is politically motivated,” he said.
“Instead of the police focusing on diverting resources to important issues in terms of fighting crime, they go and arrest someone who is fighting for the interests of fellow Namibians who are being underpaid and exploited by their employer.”
Amushelelo is likely to appear in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court today.
[email protected]
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