NEFF condemns High Court judgement in favour of Rani Group

The judgement was delivered in the High Court on Friday by judge Shafimana Ueitele following an interim order issued in December last year.

The court order was given to the NEFF and its followers, including its president Epafras Mukwiilongo, deputy leader Longinus Iipumbu and Michael Amushelelo.

They are prohibited from acting illegally by seeking the closure of Rani Group’s retail premises and outlets around the country.

They were also ordered to stop threatening Rani Group employees.

The verdict prohibited the organisation from engaging in any unlawful industrial action or protest, intimidation, harassment or unlawful disruption of the Rani Group’s business affairs.

Ueitele further ordered that NEFF and its members and supporters, as well as Mukwiilongo, Iipumbu and Amushelelo, be restrained and interdicted from coming within 200 metres of any of the Rani Group’s retail premises.

In a statement released by the party on Thursday, NEFF said the judgement seeks to undermine their efforts in representing oppressed workers, and stands as an affront to the principles of justice and activism.

NEFF said the court’s directive imposes severe restrictions on their activities within retail outlets across the nation.

The statement noted that NEFF’s action did not stem from a position of spite and malice but that of hatred of oppression in all its forms.

“NEFF categorically denies any involvement in unlawful activities and asserts that our primary focus is advocating for the rights and interests of the working class,” noted the statement.“Our confrontations did not amount to any physical harm of individuals, nor did they constitute the breaking down of properties, but at all times we have been seeking for dialogue, recourse and solutions,” noted NEFF.

The recent threats against businesses owned by the Rani Group were in response to the suspension of approximately 100 workers from Employee Placement Services of Namibia, an entity owned by Tsumeb constituency councillor Gotty Ndjedjela.

“The NEFF thus views the position taken by the High Court of the Republic of Namibia as cushioning oppressors and throwing the poor working people of our masses to the vultures of capitalism.”