Windhoek High Court Judge Nate Ndauendapo on Friday granted Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters’ activist Michael Amushelelo further time to engage Legal Aid and for further negotiations.

Amushelelo and at least 6 000 people that registered for mass housing had threatened to occupy empty Mass Housing project houses in Otjomuise on 29 February.

Calgrokumba, the company that built the houses, and the Ministry of Rural and Urban Development lodged an urgent application to the High Court to interdict them. 

On Thursday last week, Amushelelo and about 100 of the intended occupiers flocked to the High Court to register their intention to oppose the urgent application and apply for Legal Aid to defend the action. 

On Friday last week, consensus was reached to postpone the matter to 27 March to allow the unknown persons intending to occupy the houses to apply for Legal Aid and for Amushelelo and the ministry to have further discussions.

Amushelelo has been vocal on his social media platforms after it was revealed that the houses have been unoccupied since being completed during former president Hifikepunye Pohamba’s second term in office. 

In court papers filed by Calgrokumba, they stated the houses have been vacant since 2017, while Amushelelo claim they are vacant since 2014. However, they claim, there is no need for the respondents to occupy the houses, as this would severely prejudice them as they would have to institute legal proceedings against all of them. The only way they would be protected is if the court would grant them the interim interdict. As such, they requested the court to interdict the NEFF, Amushelelo and the unknown persons intending to occupy the houses from doing so and to unlawfully erect any structures on the property in question. The houses in question are situated in Otjomuise Extension 10 and are currently the matter of a legal tussle between the ministry and the contractor. The matter was postponed to 27 March and the respondents are in the meantime interdicted from carrying out any of their intentions.  -rrouth@nepc.com.na