Pirates ‘founder’ seeks reconciliation

One of the two surviving ‘founders’ of Katutura football club Orlando Pirates, Lemmy Narib, has called for reconciliation with the other ‘founder’, Hans Eichab, who has accused him of wanting to arbitrarily sell the club to a third party.

Narib recently said the misunderstanding between the two men stems from Eichab’s unfounded suspicions and lack of understanding of issues, as whatever he [Narib] was doing was for the benefit of the club and its members.

He said accusations that he intended to sell the club as unfounded, saying he simply recalled the club – through his lawyers – from its administators, because he realised they had bad intentions for the black-and-white outfit.

The club is under the directorship of former Orlando Pirates player Axab Auchamub, who says it is registered as a private limited company.

Narib disputed Eichab’s claims that he [Narib] was not a founder member, but only joined the team as a 14-year-old player from another team.

“I am one of the two surviving founding members of the club with Hans, and there is no need for us to squabble over the issue. The problem is that Hans has been told I intend to benefit from the ‘sale’ of the team and exclude him.

“This has made him very suspicious of me,” said Narib, who was accompanied by his son Jairzinho Gurirab, also a former Pirates player.
Gurirab’s siblings, Ruucks Isaaks and Maans Xoagob, also played for Pirates.

Narib said he had exchanged a lot of correspondence with Eichab, including SMSes, but a third party was trying to drive a wedge between the two ‘founders’ to prevent the recall of the club.

Narib said he wants to take back control of the club from Auchamub and restructure the hierarchy.

In a letter addressed to Pirates administrator Zedekias #Gowaseb from Shikongo Law Chambers, dated 21 November 2023, the lawyers said they were acting “on behalf of Mr Ishmael Narib and Mr Hans #Eichab. . . founding members of the Orlando Pirates Football Club”.

Auchamub admitted receiving the letter and that Zedekias #Gowaseb was his other name.

“We hold further instructions that you caused our clients to sign and transfer all administration and control of Orlando Pirates Football Club to you . . . It is our instructions that under your control the club had not achieved its objectives, which had an adverse impact on the name, brand and goodwill of the club,” the lawyers wrote.

“We hold instructions that our clients hereby revoke all rights transferred to you and demand that you, within five days of receipt of this letter, deliver to our offices all documents, contracts, information, or any other relevant items relating to these rights, failure of which our clients reserve all their rights to explore all legal remedies available to them and which costs you will be liable for,” Narib’s lawyers wrote.

Asked to comment on the letter, Auchamub said he had referred the matter to his lawyers and could not comment on it further.

He, however, said he had an amicable meeting with Narib on 15 January, during which they discussed issues pertaining to the club.

Gurirab confirmed that his father had met Auchamub.