Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters’ national coordinator Kalimbo Iipumbu yesterday said his party is pondering the next course of action when South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa touches down in Windhoek in the coming weeks.
Ramaphosa, who was initially set to lead a delegation to Namibia for the 3rd session of the Namibia and South Africa Bi-National Commission, will no longer arrive in the country next week as initially planned.
The international relations ministry late yesterday announced the Bi-National Commission's session has been postponed until further notice.
“We are discussing the best course of action for Ramaphosa’s arrival. By tomorrow, you will be informed of our plans. We will be able to tell whether he is welcome or not,” said Kalimbo, who is also a member of parliament.
Kalimbo, who has accused the two heads of state of having a corrupt relationship, recently filed a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman following accusations that President Hage Geingob assisted Ramaphosa in the arrest and questioning of individuals who crossed into Namibia
after breaking into the latter’s Phala Phala farm in the Limpopo Province.
However, his request was rejected by Ombudsman Basilius Dyakugha, who said his office lacks jurisdiction.
Geingob has also dismissed suggestions that he assisted his South African counterpart. Meanwhile, a South African justice ministry official this week said there is no record of the Namibian police having requested assistance in investigating a suspect who allegedly stole some US$4 million in cash from that game farm.
This contradicts police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga’s claim in a statement that a formal request was made to South Africa to confirm whether a crime had been registered in the neighbouring country.
Ndeitunga had said no response was received from the South African authorities, resulting in the cancellation of the preservation order and the release of the suspects’ assets.
However, South African justice ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said in a statement on Tuesday that it had “closely followed media reports and a statement by the Namibian Police Force concerning a request for mutual legal assistance in respect of a suspect by the name of David Imanuwela”.
He said there was a process that needed to be followed in procedures of “mutual legal assistance”.
Phiri said the requesting state would have to submit the request at the South African Embassy or High Commission in that particular state.