PRESIDENT of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) Jeremia Nambinga scored a huge legal victory against his own party in the High Court on Friday.
The Windhoek High Court, in a ruling handed down by judge Shafimana Ueitele, issued an order that decisions taken during a meeting by the members of the RDP’s national executive committee (NEC) on 12 August 2017 in which a vote of no confidence in Nambinga’s leadership style was tabled for discussion, are unlawful and invalid.
In addition, all decisions passed by the NEC at the meeting in respect of a vote of no confidence in Nambinga’s leadership style, which was planned for discussion during the weekend of 3 to 5 November 2017, were declared unlawful and invalid.
Furthermore, the RDP and its NEC members were ordered to pay Nambinga’s legal costs on top of the costs of their own lawyers.
“The judgement is justice done for RDP members and the rest of the Namibian nation,” Nambinga said in an interview with Nampa shortly after the handing down of the ruling.
On 3 December 2017, the RDP president took his party to court after the decision against him was taken by at least 12 of the 18 RDP NEC members on 12 August 2017, following allegations that he had failed to steer the party to greater heights.
Nambinga told the court during the hearing he will hold on to his position as party president, saying he will not be intimidated by “a gang of thugs” with hidden agendas within his own party.
Meanwhile, some members of the RDP leadership accused Nambinga of failing to uphold the party’s values of unity, democracy, freedom, integrity, justice and social progress, the court heard.
Nambinga took over leadership of the RDP in 2015 from founding president, the late Hidipo Hamutenya.
RDP currently has three seats in the National Assembly compared to the eight it occupied after the national elections in 2009.
Gerson !Narib represented Nambinga (appellant) while Albert Strydom defended the RDP and its members (respondents).
– Nampa
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