The application by the Christian Democratic Voice party to have its president Gotthard Kandume step down and hand over the party’s account has fallen by the wayside after it was struck from the court roll.
According to High Court Judge Nate Ndauendapo, the case has been inactive for six months, despite the court’s plea to the parties to have the matter moved forward.
Furthermore, the parties have failed to show up in court on numerous occasions.
CDV did not get any lawyer to file an urgent application seeking an order that would direct Kandume to recuse himself as party president and also as a signatory to the party’s bank account alongside the party’s administrator, Karabo Chaune.
The application was launched by the party’s secretary, Ginola Nauseb, for information and publicity.
According to her, the party could not afford to instruct a lawyer, as Kandume has allegedly squandered party funds.
Party money was allegedly siphoned out of the account via e-wallets and electronic transfers to numbers belonging to Kandume, his fiancée Ingried !Oweses and Chaune.
Kandume would allegedly threaten party members if they refused to give or loan him money from the party coffers.
The party has since opened a police case in which Kandume is charged with fraud, forgery and misappropriation of funds.
Furthermore, Kandume was allegedly suspended by the party after he was found guilty of fraud, misappropriation of funds and abuse of power.
The party, therefore, said he is no longer party president.
“The purpose of this application is to allow the party to regain access to its funds in order to resume party activities and pay salaries,” said Nauseb.
Replying to the allegations, Kandume said he was never suspended from the party nor was there a disciplinary hearing for his alleged misconduct.
“I deny that I have threatened anybody, and that the employees of the applicant (CDV) will not be paid,” said Kandume.
He said those who have not been paid are those who have refused to sign employment contracts with the party.
However, he has authorised allowances to them to the tune of N$64 000 for the period from October 2020 to February 2021.
He admits a criminal case has been opened against him; as a result, the party’s account has been frozen.
Kandume, who founded the CDV to fight for the plight of Christians, churches and the re-introduction of Christian values and norms in the Namibian society, is a member of parliament, as his party obtained one seat in the National Assembly after garnering about 6 000 votes in the 2019 general elections.
In 2014, the party received only 2 400 votes, and it did not receive a single seat in the house.