Niël Terblanché
The Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, has initiated court proceedings against political activist Michael Amushelelo for alleged contempt of court.
This action follows Amushelelo’s recent social media posts concerning rape allegations against the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Mac Hengari.
In a statement posted on social media, Amushelelo questioned the consistency of public demands for accountability.
“As a society, it will be very hypocritical of all of you to demand that [redacted] resigns from his position as Member of Parliament and Minister when we equally have Joseph Shikongo, who is the Chief of Police, that we have allowed to remain in office despite the fact that he has not been held accountable for his actions. So, we should first demand that Joseph Shikongo be arrested for his car accident that killed three people, before we demand that the alleged rapist be arrested,” Amushelelo stated.
In his founding affidavit, Shikongo stated that Amushelelo’s post included photographs, one depicting Shikongo in an official police uniform.
“I have redacted the name and references to another individual mentioned in the respondent’s post, as that matter involves serious allegations that are currently under investigation and the relevant authorities have yet to pronounce themselves on the matter,” he said.
Shikongo said Amushelelo’s statements mirror previous defamatory remarks, suggesting that the police General should be prosecuted for culpable homicide and that he received preferential treatment after a motor vehicle accident in the north more than a year ago.
Shikongo reiterated that the investigation into the accident has concluded, with the docket currently being reviewed by the Prosecutor-General’s office to determine potential charges.
The General expressed concern that linking his situation with unrelated allegations against another individual would exacerbate damage to his reputation.
“The respondent has attempted to conflate my situation with allegations of a serious sexual offence against another individual, despite there being no factual or legal connection between these matters,” he stated.
Shikongo also pointed out that Amushelelo had previously entered into a settlement agreement, voluntarily and with legal representation, to refrain from making defamatory statements.
“Given the respondent’s history of making defamatory statements about me, there is a real risk that, if not restrained, he will continue to publish similar statements in contravention of the court order,” he said in his affidavit.
Shikongo is seeking interim relief from the High Court to compel Amushelelo to remove the contentious Facebook post and to prevent further defamatory statements.
He also stressed the urgency, noting that the post has been accessible for several days to Amushelelo’s substantial following of at least 273 000 people on Facebook alone.
The matter is scheduled to be heard on Monday, 7 April 2025.
