Interdict granted against media

THE HIGH Court issued an order yesterday evening to forbid Namibian media outlets, the Namibia Farmworkers Union, and its Secretary General, Alfred Angula, from reporting remarks levelled against a major foreign investor in Namibia’s tourism industry at a press conference yesterday.

It was past 19h00 already when Judge Annel Silungwe started hearing the urgent application. Forty-five minutes later, the Judge issued an interdict preventing the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, Republikein, New Era, The Windhoek Observer and The Namibian from reporting Angula’s remarks.The interim order has effect until June 27 at this stage.Oliver van de Vijver, Marketing Director of Leading Lodges of Africa, which owns and operates six up-market tourist lodges in Namibia, told the Judge in oral testimony that he was shocked to learn of the contents of Angula’s statement.Van de Vijver told the judge that the statements – about alleged labour conditions at the company’s Epacha Lodge near the Etosha National Park, and including alleged racially-motivated charges by Angula – were false, and could cause major damage to the company if published.”I think if the people would read tomorrow what is said in this press release, I could just as well close the lodges,” he remarked.Except for Epacha Lodge, the company also counts Villa Verdi guest house in the capital, Suclabo Lodge in the Kavango Region, and the Gocheganas Nature Reserve & Wellness Centre near Windhoek among its resorts.Lawyers Albert Strydom, Geoffrey Dicks and Stoan Horn took the urgent application to court.Forty-five minutes later, the Judge issued an interdict preventing the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, Republikein, New Era, The Windhoek Observer and The Namibian from reporting Angula’s remarks.The interim order has effect until June 27 at this stage.Oliver van de Vijver, Marketing Director of Leading Lodges of Africa, which owns and operates six up-market tourist lodges in Namibia, told the Judge in oral testimony that he was shocked to learn of the contents of Angula’s statement.Van de Vijver told the judge that the statements – about alleged labour conditions at the company’s Epacha Lodge near the Etosha National Park, and including alleged racially-motivated charges by Angula – were false, and could cause major damage to the company if published.”I think if the people would read tomorrow what is said in this press release, I could just as well close the lodges,” he remarked.Except for Epacha Lodge, the company also counts Villa Verdi guest house in the capital, Suclabo Lodge in the Kavango Region, and the Gocheganas Nature Reserve & Wellness Centre near Windhoek among its resorts.Lawyers Albert Strydom, Geoffrey Dicks and Stoan Horn took the urgent application to court.