Boois places assault charge in NFA elections

THE chairman of the Otjozondjupa Football Region, Manfred Boois, has laid a case of assault against his colleague Gerson Ndjoonduezu, after he was shoved off his wheelchair during the Namibia Football Association (NFA) Congress at the weekend, while he also described the elections as unfair.

In a strongly worded letter on his behalf by his sister in law, Yvonne Boois, Manfred Boois said that he has laid a charge of physical assault with the Police in Windhoek. Boois, as the chairman of the Otjozondjupa region, was mandated to vote for Hendrik Dawids at the congress, but one of his colleagues, Gerson Ndjoonduezu decided otherwise, with their argument leading into a scuffle that eventually saw Boois being swung out of his wheelchair by Ndjoonduezu.Boois was admitted to the Central Hospital in Windhoek with a fractured right leg.He has since been transferred to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital to be close to his family.Boois, a former senior Police officer said that he had supportive evidence that he was mandated by his region to vote for Dawids and not for John Muinjo as Ndjoonduezu wished.The letter said the Boois clan was bitter about the ordeal that happened in front of top Fifa officials.She said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) also was not sympathetic to Boois who was denied any power to during the election.”Upon receiving this information, the family members were shocked and surprised that the congress of this magnitude could not prevent this from happening, let alone the fact that their silence indicates the extent to which the NFA, IEC and Fifa officials regard the assault of a disabled person as trivial,” the letter stated.Boois also accused the chairperson of the IEC, Agnes Tjongarero, saying that she was unfair in allowing Ndjoonduezu, ‘a man without mandate’ to continue to cast a vote for whoever he wanted.”The Boois family therefore wish to register that the whole election process was a farce and is in serious dispute.We are saying, in support of Manfred Boois, that the election was definitely not free and fair,” the latter said.Tjongarero, when called yesterday, said she does not understand how a single incident could nullify the entire election.She said there are 15 other members that voted and they did not express any dissatisfaction with the process after it was completed.Even the Fifa representatives who were present did not find anything wrong with the process despite that incident.”At the end of the congress, I asked if there were any objections with the process and no one said anything,” she said.But the Boois letter claims that he was not only denied his right to vote, but he was humiliated by the very same people whom he believed and trusted to defend him.The letter claimed Agnes Tjongarero, after opposing a question to Boois (during the congress), even said to Boois: ‘You don’t need to stand up Sir.’ “Imagine, Boois will never ever be able to stand up even if that is something that he would like to do with his whole heart, mind, soul and body.Unfortunately he cannot do that.Madam Tjongarero of all people in Namibia should know that,” the letter read.Boois further said that they have sent the same letter to Fifa for the attention of president Sepp Blatter, “for them to know the shame that his men brought to justice and democracy in Namibia, (referring to Jerome Champagne and Ashford Mamelodi from Fifa who witness the congress).””We are requesting the Namibia Sports Commission to investigate the whole election process and to ensure that Boois be given back his dignity that has been taken away from him so rudely and forcefully, the letter said.The Namibian Sport unsuccessfully attempted to reach Ndjoonduezu for comment.Boois, as the chairman of the Otjozondjupa region, was mandated to vote for Hendrik Dawids at the congress, but one of his colleagues, Gerson Ndjoonduezu decided otherwise, with their argument leading into a scuffle that eventually saw Boois being swung out of his wheelchair by Ndjoonduezu.Boois was admitted to the Central Hospital in Windhoek with a fractured right leg.He has since been transferred to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital to be close to his family.Boois, a former senior Police officer said that he had supportive evidence that he was mandated by his region to vote for Dawids and not for John Muinjo as Ndjoonduezu wished.The letter said the Boois clan was bitter about the ordeal that happened in front of top Fifa officials.She said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) also was not sympathetic to Boois who was denied any power to during the election.”Upon receiving this information, the family members were shocked and surprised that the congress of this magnitude could not prevent this from happening, let alone the fact that their silence indicates the extent to which the NFA, IEC and Fifa officials regard the assault of a disabled person as trivial,” the letter stated.Boois also accused the chairperson of the IEC, Agnes Tjongarero, saying that she was unfair in allowing Ndjoonduezu, ‘a man without mandate’ to continue to cast a vote for whoever he wanted.”The Boois family therefore wish to register that the whole election process was a farce and is in serious dispute.We are saying, in support of Manfred Boois, that the election was definitely not free and fair,” the latter said.Tjongarero, when called yesterday, said she does not understand how a single incident could nullify the entire election.She said there are 15 other members that voted and they did not express any dissatisfaction with the process after it was completed.Even the Fifa representatives who were present did not find anything wrong with the process despite that incident.”At the end of the congress, I asked if there were any objections with the process and no one said anything,” she said.But the Boois letter claims that he was not only denied his right to vote, but he was humiliated by the very same people whom he believed and trusted to defend him.The letter claimed Agnes Tjongarero, after opposing a question to Boois (during the congress), even said to Boois: ‘You don’t need to stand up Sir.’ “Imagine, Boois will never ever be able to stand up even if that is something that he would like to do with his whole heart, mind, soul and body.Unfortunately he cannot do that.Madam Tjongarero of all people in Namibia should know that,” the letter read.Boois further said that they have sent the same letter to Fifa for the attention of president Sepp Blatter, “for them to know the shame that his men brought to justice and democracy in Namibia, (referring to Jerome Champagne and Ashford Mamelodi from Fifa who witness the congress).””We are requesting the Namibia Sports Commission to investigate the whole election process and to ensure that Boois be given back his dignity that has been taken away from him so rudely and forcefully, the letter said.The Namibian Sport unsuccessfully attempted to reach Ndjoonduezu for comment.