Martin Endjala
The lawyer representing Namibia Economic Freedom Fighter activist Michael Amushelelo, Kadhila Amoomo says it is unjust that the police are interfering with issues pertaining to labour law, and that his client still has not been charged after his arrest yesterday afternoon.
Amoomo confirmed his arrest during an interview with the Windhoek Observer. Amoomo said that there are two branches of law involved in his client’s arrest, mainly criminal law and labour law, and that the criminal law he said, seems to be interfering with the labour law.
He stressed that matters of criminality should be dealt with separately and not be mixed with that of labour laws.
“My client was arrested during a protest, which in itself is a labour matter and not a criminal matter. We will continue to fight this injustice until we root it out totally,” Amoomo remarked.
Asked if he is worried about his client’s constant arrest at almost every protest, Amoomo stated as a lawyer, he is not emotionally driven. Amoomo further added that Amushelelo has the right to select any lawyer to represent him.
Amushelelo was arrested yesterday during a protest by City of Windhoek workers, who demanded that they be permanently employed and that their salaries be increased. In addition they are demanding for other fringe benefits accorded to permanent employees. The workers who downed tools on Monday this week also claim that a number of them have been working for the City of Windhoek for over 20 years on contract.
Yesterday, chaos broke out between the demonstrators, the police and the City of Windhoek officials in the afternoon, which saw the Namibian Reserved Task Force being deployed to intervene in the fracas.
The streets of the city center, stretching all through Independence Avenue, saw the protestors emptying waste bins and scattering dirt all around the streets in protest, demonstrating their anger.
The protesters marched from the City of Windhoek parking, to the Shoprite shopping centre, extending their march to the Namibian Police Station and later heading off to Windhoek West.
