Swapo Four ‘must assume they’re back’

Swapo lawyer Dirk Conradie says since the High Court has declared the expulsion of Job Amupanda, Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, George Kambala and Elijah Ngurare as null and void, they should assume they are back in the party.
Conradie was responding to a letter written by the so-called Swapo Four’s lawyer, which set a deadline for the Swapo Party, through its secretary-general, to implement the court order by today.
The Swapo Four’s lawyer, Amupanda Kamanja, said his clients had not received any written communication from Mbumba in compliance with last Friday’s court ruling.
“Should the secretary-general fail, refuse or neglect to comply with the court ruling and order by 09:00 on Friday, 29 April I regret to inform you that my clients will consider available and appropriate legal remedies,” he wrote.
Speaking to Namibian Sun yesterday, Conradie said he had forwarded the letter to his client and did not think there was any problem. “The court says they are back; they are members. They don’t need a letter, they were in court. If it was up to my advice then they won’t get a letter, they must assume they are back,” he said.
Last Friday, Acting Judge Collins Parker found that the expulsion of the four amounted to an unlawful breach of contract embodied in the Swapo constitution. However, Parker declined to grant an order to have the Swapo Four reinstated to any leadership positions in the party. The judge ordered the Swapo Party to pay 60% of the costs of the case.
Mbumba could not be reached for comment yesterday.

GORDON JOSEPH