The trial of Affirmative Repositioning (AR) land activist Dimbulukeni ‘Dee’ Nauyoma has been postponed to 19 May this year.
The court is currently postponing all trials and mandatory appearances due to the regulations in place necessitated by the fight against Covid-19.
He is expected to stand trial on two charges, namely hindering a person and entering upon land, all in contravention of Section 2 of Proclamation AG 21 of 1985.
All charges stem from an incident in which Nauyoma allegedly attempted to stop Windhoek City Police officers from demolishing a shack belonging to Okuryangava resident, 33-year-old single mother of two Wilhemina Shipingana in January last year.
According to court documents, on 18 January 2019, Nauyoma unlawfully entered the land without having authority to and without lawful cause. Furthermore, he obstructed officers of the law from carrying out their duties.
Police reports at the time stated that Nauyoma and other land activists tried to rebuild Shipingana’s shack on municipal land. The police further indicated that the land belongs to the municipality and it was illegally occupied, and Shipingana knew that the shack would be removed.
At the time, Shipingana told New Era that her shack was initially demolished in the morning after she refused to have sexual intercourse with the man who gave her a piece of land to build her shack during December, 2018. Shipingana said the community and Nauyoma rebuilt the shack on the land while trying to get another place. Her shack was again demolished after it was rebuilt.
Consequently, police arrested Nauyoma along with Emilia Simon, Tuhafeni Kamati, Wilhem Mapele and Ismael Kalumbu, who have since been released on a warning.
During his arrest, Nauyoma allegedly sustained injuries to his left shoulder and ribs while being transported to police holding cells at Wanaheda Police Station.
Nauyoma is currently on bail of N$500 on condition that he may not interfere with police investigations and may not interfere with Windhoek City Police and Namibian police officers during the execution of their duties. -mamakali@nepc.com.na