Govt Disobeys Court Orders

IT IS with interest that I read the comment on Page 2 of today’s Namibian newspaper regarding the teachers’ strike.

The Deputy Minister of Education is quoted as saying: “I have been advised that no person enjoys the right in Namibia, whether or not he likes the concerned court order, to disobey, ignore or defy such a court order that is served upon him or that has come upon his attention.”
It is interesting that the Government leaders are happy to use this language (the content of which is totally correct) when it suits them, but are also happy to ignore court orders when it suits them? Consider the long-standing issues affecting the settlement of Wlotzkasbaken were thought to be over when, in March 2008 an appeal judgement confirmed the Agreement of Settlement reached between the Wlotzkasbaken Homeowners and the Erongo Regional Council [ERC] signed on 10th November 2006, (reinforcing the first Agreement of Settlement which was also made an order of the court in November 2000).
To date no action has been undertaken by the ERC to enforce this order of the court and, six years later, the status quo remains due to the refusal of the government to put such order into effect – now however they wish to use the courts to enforce orders against others who may want to “ … disobey, ignore or defy” any court order?
Just wondering !
Dave Pineo
Windhoek

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