Festus Ueitele, the former governor of the Omaheke region, and his wife Frieda Shimakeleni have settled the defamation of character lawsuit against Gobabis resident Veronika Kuzeeko.
Ueitele and Shimakeleni instituted the suit against Kuzeeko after she published several defamatory items about them on two WhatsApp groups, called Omaheke Freedom Solidarity and Right to Shelter.
They claimed N$400 000 each and the cost of the suit.
They, however, settled for N$45 000 each and N$62 000 in respect of their legal costs.
The N$45 000 is to be paid in monthly instalments of N$2 500 per plaintiff, starting on or before 2 November 2022 and each preceding month until full and final payment.
She must, however, pay an amount of N$4 500 to each of the plaintiffs within seven days of the court order.
She also has to pay N$6 200 to each plaintiff in respect of the legal costs within seven days of the court order and thereafter N$2 500 per month until fully settled.
In the event that she fails to pay the amounts agreed, the plaintiffs are entitled to obtain a writ of execution against her.
She also has to publish an unreserved apology and retraction of all the statements she made on social media platforms.
Kuzeeko, who is the mother of Ueitele’s son, published on the WhatsApp groups that Shimakeleni was never a good person, who ensures divorces of marriages, including that of her peers and ensures that children become orphans.
Furthermore, Kuzeeko said, she ensures that breadwinners and heads of households become unemployed.
She destroyed Swapo Party and ensured division within the party.
She ensured the majority of Gobabis residents live in poverty and that the majority of the Omaheke inhabitants are unemployed.
She also mentioned that Shimakeleni was a “Kond stable”, and she was brought in by Kuzeeko’s Batswanna parents – and it later worked out that “she is just evil”.
Furthermore, it is claimed that Kuzeeko published messages to the effect: “This is such evil even – after the CEO is buried and laid to rest, these witchdoctors still keep on following him. Nee man, you looted enough; let the CEO rest in peace. I am even happy that the CEO [has] been buried opposite someone’s house so he can remind him/her of their corruption every day. Of course, yes, I am not corrupted like her. Frieda Ueitele is corrupt is a fact (sic)”.
With regards to Ueitele, she published the following statements: “I am happy that Ueitele Boy got married without a corrupt penny and stolen black cattle. That my family referred back (sic). Ask Festus Ueitele the biological father; he is on this platform @ Festus Ueitele son was brought up by Mr Kuzeeko while he was absent – and for that matter, if he remembers well the time he was an MP, we ended up in the magistrate court over that child. And now that the boy was raised by someone else and he is successful in life, you want to shine on another man’s expense during his marriage”.
According to Shimakeleni and Ueitele, the statements were meant to be understood by their readers that they are corrupt by evil spirits, thieves, criminals and persons of low morals.
They claim their reputation and good names were damaged in the eyes of right-thinking Namibians – and as a result, they are entitled to damages.
Shimakeleni and Ueitele were represented by Karl Gaeb from the Sisa Namandje stable and Kuzeeko by Mekumbu Tjiteere.
- rrouth@nepc.com.na