THE Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear an urgent appeal brought by the DTA against the High Court’s rejection of the party’s request to bar the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) from taking part in Grootfontein regional elections.
Supreme Court Registrar, Jan Joubert, said lawyers for the DTA and its leader, Katuutire Kaura, had approached Chief Justice Hans Strydom requesting an urgent appeal against Acting Judge John Manyarara’s decision. Joubert said Strydom declined to “constitute” a sitting of the Supreme Court.Lawyers representing the DTA and Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako, whom Kaura has accused of illegally taking Nudo out of the DTA, said Strydom had found the notice too short to gather judges to consider the appeal before the end of yesterday.On Tuesday Kaura lost an urgent application in the High Court where he had asked that Nudo be stopped from being one of the five parties contesting the Grootfontein by-election.Acting Judge Manyarara said in his judgement that the appeal that the DTA launched should not be considered urgent, because the party’s leaders had time from September 18 to appeal.On September 18 last year, Riruako wrote to DTA leader Kaura informing him that as President of Nudo he was removing the party from the alliance.In mid-December, the Electoral Commission had approved Nudo’s registration as an independent political party, and refused to heed DTA warnings that accepting Riruako’s application would lead to a lawsuit.Kaura yesterday vowed to continue the fight.Manyarara did not rule on the arguments about whether Chief Riruako was correct in registering Nudo, the strongest group in the ethically assembled conglomerate of parties.Kaura has separately filed an application for the courts to annul the Electoral Commission’s registration of Nudo.Joubert said Strydom declined to “constitute” a sitting of the Supreme Court. Lawyers representing the DTA and Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako, whom Kaura has accused of illegally taking Nudo out of the DTA, said Strydom had found the notice too short to gather judges to consider the appeal before the end of yesterday. On Tuesday Kaura lost an urgent application in the High Court where he had asked that Nudo be stopped from being one of the five parties contesting the Grootfontein by-election. Acting Judge Manyarara said in his judgement that the appeal that the DTA launched should not be considered urgent, because the party’s leaders had time from September 18 to appeal. On September 18 last year, Riruako wrote to DTA leader Kaura informing him that as President of Nudo he was removing the party from the alliance. In mid-December, the Electoral Commission had approved Nudo’s registration as an independent political party, and refused to heed DTA warnings that accepting Riruako’s application would lead to a lawsuit. Kaura yesterday vowed to continue the fight. Manyarara did not rule on the arguments about whether Chief Riruako was correct in registering Nudo, the strongest group in the ethically assembled conglomerate of parties. Kaura has separately filed an application for the courts to annul the Electoral Commission’s registration of Nudo.
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