Museum photos squabble still with lawyers

The squabble between veteran photographer John Liebenberg and the Ministry of Education, over the use of his pictures at the Independence Memorial Museum, is still raging. The dispute is now in the hands of the two parties’ lawyers. Liebenberg has threatened to sue the ministry over pictures he took of Swapo activities during the liberation struggle, which are exhibited in the museum, because he claims he was not paid. National Museum head Esther Mwoombola-/Goagoses told Namibian Sun: “The matter is not resolved yet, but it is now in the hands of the lawyers, and we are waiting for them to inform us about the way forward.” She said this week, that government lawyers had taken over the case and they had not given her feedback on the progress. In an earlier interview, Mwoombola-/Goagoses denied any wrongdoing, saying that all the pictures on display in the museum were paid for. The National Archives fall under the Ministry of Education. Liebenberg has hired former Attorney-General Hartmut Ruppel to institute legal proceedings against the National Archives and the Ministry of Education for allegedly duplicating his work. Numerous phone calls and emails sent to Liebenberg, who now lives in South Africa, have gone unanswered. WINDHOEK NAMENE HELMICH