Stefanus Nashama
Prominent South African legal practitioner, Advocate Dali Mpofu and his colleague Advocate Lerato Moela were denied work permits this week by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security.
The two arrived in Namibia to represent the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) in a deregistration hearing in the Windhoek High Court on Tuesday.
The ministry’s executive director, Etienne Maritz, said on Tuesday the lawyers were denied work visas after failing to submit all required documents in their applications as required under Section 85, Subsection 2, of the Legal Practitioners Act (Act No. 15 of 1995).
“The decision to deny the work visas was purely procedural and based on the Ministry’s commitment to upholding the law. Therefore, the ministry didn’t take into account political considerations as alleged by some quarters,” he said.
Maritz clarified that their applications lacked essential documents like academic qualifications and accreditation certificates issued by the Chief Justice.
Maritz said the ministry had no intention to hinder legal representation or impede the legitimate activities of any party involved in the legal proceeding in Namibia.
According to Maritz, advocates Mpofu and Moela arrived in Namibia on 22 July to represent their clients in court.
They were allowed entry to apply for and obtain work visas before proceeding with the court representation.
On the same day as their arrival, the ministry received work visa applications for the two through Kadhila Amoomo Legal Practitioners.
However, the application did not meet the requirements as prescribed by the law.
This, he said, resulted in them not being able to represent NEFF’s case in the High Court.
Maritz emphasised that Namibian immigration laws exist to ensure that all applicants adhere to the necessary legal requirements when seeking entry into Namibia.
He said the ministry remains available to provide further clarification regarding this matter.
Mpofu is the former national chairperson of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in South Africa, which has close links with the NEFF.
On Tuesday, NEFF deputy leader Kalimbo Iipumbu said the denial of work permits to the lawyer was a “dirty trick”.
Last month, the ECN deregistered the NEFF and the Christian Democratic Voice (CDV) for failing to submit and publish financial statements as mandated by the Electoral Act.
