Red line: Amupanda discloses finances to court

Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Job Amupanda says just the trail over the removal of the veterinary cordon fence (VCF) is estimated to cost N$3.56 million in legal fees, which is equal to 54 months of his net remuneration.

According to him, his disposable income is N$11 689 per month, but this is only if he receives his maximum monthly income of N$65 000.

Amupanda said this in a secondary affidavit to amplify his application for a protective cost order in the ongoing legal action in which he seeks to have the VCF – also known as the red line – removed and declared illegal and unconstitutional.

He filed the case on 26 May 2021 and listed agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein, the government, Attorney-General Festus Mbandeka and an official in the directorate of veterinary services, Hango Nambinga, as defendants in the matter.

However, the Meat Board of Namibia was added as a fifth defendant after it asked for leave to intervene, while two commercial farmers have joined as third parties and the Namibia Agricultural Union joined as a defendant.

Amupanda filed an application for a protective costs order, but the court found he must first provide proof of his financial resources.

Middle-class money

In his affidavit, Amupanda said his take-home salary is N$27 914 from the University of Namibia (Unam), where he is permanently employed as a senior lecturer.

He also receives between N$28 000 and N$38 000 a month, depending on the City of Windhoek activities he is involved in, where is appointed as a councillor.

“As such, from December 2020, my total income on a monthly basis ranged between N$50 000 to N$65 000 from both Unam and the City of Windhoek.”

According to him, he also jointly owns a house in Eros with his wife, and a Ford Ranger, which he uses for his own transport purposes.

“Like any other member of the middle class in our capitalist society, these properties are financed by commercial banks and will swiftly be repossessed the very second we cannot pay the bank instalments.”

Amupanda added that he individually and collectively owns animals in Ondonga.

This includes 15 goats and sheep, 10 heads of cattle, 10 chickens and other domestic animals to a value that cannot easily be determined, “partly because of discriminatory and exclusionary practices such as those I seek to repudiate in this very application”.

However, the estimated value of these animals does not exceed N$50 000, he said.

Dormant companies

As of 7 September, the registry of companies at the Business and Intellectual Property Authority of Namibia (Bipa) recorded his association with nine entities, Amupanda said.

However, with the exception of Twenty First Century Radical Publishing CC, all the other entities are either dormant or not in operation in terms of active commercial and/or financial transactions that provide income to their shareholders, he said.

“Some of them either do not have bank accounts, or the bank accounts are closed.”

He said he owns the publishing company with two other young people, and they run a small Afrocentric bookstore in Windhoek, which has not been profitable or recorded income for its shareholders.

Amupanda said his immediate family expenses amount to N$33 311 per month, while he pays N$8 500 in black tax and N$11 500 in activism expenses.

“The total expenses are thus N$53 311, viewed against a total income that fluctuates between N$50 000 and N$65 000.”

He pointed out that other expenses such as fuel, funerals and wedding contributions, assisting family and friends, construction projects and other activities have not been covered.

“If this is added and one - without regard to how Africans assist and come to the aid of one another - has sight of this, it may appear that my finances are so dire that, at face value, the impression of insolvency may appear.”

20 court days

Amupanda highlighted that the case was filed in May 2021 and two years later, the matter’s merits are yet to be heard.

“I have a monthly amount of N$1 000 that goes to my legal practitioner.”

He estimated that the legal fees for all the defendants would be approximately be N$178 000 per day, which must be compared with his maximum monthly income of N$65 000.

He also pointed out that notices of exception have been filed, as well as pleas in the matter and other legal applications, which also add to the cost of the court case.

“I estimate that should the matter proceed to trial, it is likely to take at least 20 court days, which is roughly N$ 3.56 million in legal fees.”