Ongombo West legal saga continues

THE Namibia Farm Workers Union (Nafwu) is set to lay charges of contempt of court against the owners of Ongombo West Farm after they refused to obey a court order.

Lawyer Chris Brandt informed the union that the ruling by Magistrate Uaatjo Uanivi that six workers be re-employed was made against Ongombo West Farm although the workers had been fired by owner Hilde Renate Wiese. He said the employment contracts were between Wiese and the workers while the order was against Ongombo West “which is only a name of a farm that has no status or legal capacity to sue or be sued”.On Tuesday, Brandt wrote a letter to inform the Clerk of the District Labour Court in Windhoek that the judgement was “null and void” with no legal effect.He followed it up with another letter to the lawyers of Nafwu, Kauta, Basson and Kamuhanga Inc, reiterating that Hilde Wiese never traded under the name Ongombo West.He said any charge of contempt of court would be opposed.Two weeks ago, Magistrate Uanivi ordered the Ongombo West Farm owner to immediately re-instate the six workers who were fired by her son Andreas – the manager of the farm – in October and to pay them N$21 000 in outstanding salaries.Andreas Wiese re-employed the workers for 24 hours before firing them again after consulting new lawyers.During the first case, the owner was represented by Holger Sircoulomb and the workers by Raymond Heathcote.Cornelia Rooinasie, Elias //Hoeb, Immanuel //Hoebeb, Wilfred //Hoebeb, Erik !Ganeb and Ben !Ganeb were fired after they deserted the workplace without permission.Wiese claimed that the workers also threatened him with a knife.The Wiese family gave the workers until the end of October 2003 to leave the premises and, after waiting two-and-a-half months, obtained a court order to evict them.He said the employment contracts were between Wiese and the workers while the order was against Ongombo West “which is only a name of a farm that has no status or legal capacity to sue or be sued”.On Tuesday, Brandt wrote a letter to inform the Clerk of the District Labour Court in Windhoek that the judgement was “null and void” with no legal effect.He followed it up with another letter to the lawyers of Nafwu, Kauta, Basson and Kamuhanga Inc, reiterating that Hilde Wiese never traded under the name Ongombo West.He said any charge of contempt of court would be opposed.Two weeks ago, Magistrate Uanivi ordered the Ongombo West Farm owner to immediately re-instate the six workers who were fired by her son Andreas – the manager of the farm – in October and to pay them N$21 000 in outstanding salaries.Andreas Wiese re-employed the workers for 24 hours before firing them again after consulting new lawyers.During the first case, the owner was represented by Holger Sircoulomb and the workers by Raymond Heathcote.Cornelia Rooinasie, Elias //Hoeb, Immanuel //Hoebeb, Wilfred //Hoebeb, Erik !Ganeb and Ben !Ganeb were fired after they deserted the workplace without permission.Wiese claimed that the workers also threatened him with a knife.The Wiese family gave the workers until the end of October 2003 to leave the premises and, after waiting two-and-a-half months, obtained a court order to evict them.