Nudo congress given greenlight

WINDHOEK, 25 MAY  – The National Unity Democratic Organisation’s (Nudo) third elective congress started Friday morning after a last minute attempt by disgruntled members to have it halted, was thrown out of court.

This came after claims that around 120 delegates were illegally blocked from attending the congress. The disgruntled Nudo members resorted to the Windhoek High Court on Thursday, filing an urgent interdict to prevent it from going ahead.

Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula who presided over the matter however was not satisfied with the arguments from the applicants, saying the case did not meet the merits of urgency.

The judge indicated that the applicants had sufficient time to approach the court but failed to so, hence the urgency of the case was self-created.

The case was also thrown out of court on the grounds of balance of inconvenience.

Balance of inconvenience is a legal term that refers to the injury or loss that is suffered by the defendant if an interdict is granted.
In this case, the defendants, who were Nudo and the party’s Secretary General (SG) Meundju Jahanika, would have suffered severe losses had the judge not ruled in their favour.

This was premised on the fact that the party has already spent over N.dollars 500 000 on logistics, organising the congress and transporting the over 500 delegates who are currently in Windhoek.

The case stems from a decision by the Nudo National Council to nullify 88 delegates from the Aminius Constituency, Gobabis and several others from the Erongo Region.

The decision to nullify the branches was on the basis that they were not duly established.
Kadhila Amoomo, the applicants’ lawyer questioned how these procedures were breached and where the SG got the powers to nullify them.

Amoomo further argued that his clients were not given an opportunity to be heard and that the reasons why they are blocked were not provided.

Arguing on behalf of the respondents in the two hour-long case, lawyer Tuhafeni Muhongo said there were no grounds for an urgent interdict.

He said the applicants’ concerns could be addressed at the congress.
“Why don’t you raise your issue at the congress? The constitution of the party makes provision for that,” he said.

He added that the two applicants, Uahimisa Kaapehi (Erongo Regional Coordinator) and Steve Zakaapi (Aminuis Constituency Coordinator), considering their seniority in the party, should have known better.

Interviewed shortly after the hearing, members from both camps expressed satisfaction with the judgement.

In the run-up to congress, there were also concerns of mushrooming Nudo branches in places where the party never had a constituency or vote in the past.
The congress ends on Saturday.
Two teams – Team Nudo and Team 100 per VK – each claim that they are the right side to take the party to greater heights.
NAMPA