Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The judgement in Menzies Aviation Namibia’s latest appeal case against its eviction from the Hosea Kutako International Airport by the Namibia Airports Company has been reserved.
High Court Judge Hannelie Prinsloo after hearing arguments on Monday said that she will deliver her judgment in the latest appeal case on Friday 1 September.
Paragon Aviation Services will, in the meantime, continue to render ground handling services at the airport.
Menzies was evicted from the airport on Saturday and ordered to stop rendering the ground handling services after more than a year of legal battles in which the company contested a High Court judgement authorising its eviction from the premises.
The Supreme Court upheld the judgement delivered in the Windhoek High Court in June last year.
Menzies’ contract with Namibia Airports Company which was awarded in 2014 lapsed in 2021, and new bidders were invited in which Paragon Aviation emerged victorious. However, Menzies refused to leave the premises despite numerous court orders.
Menzies is now challenging the Namibia Airports Company’s decision to give the tender to Paragon Aviation, citing that they need 12 months’ notice to vacate the airport.
Namibia Airports Company Chief Executive Officer, Bisey /Uirab, has argued that Menzies’s eviction is in compliance with the court order in order to pave the way for Paragon Aviation Services to take over the ground handling services at the airport.
“The eviction of Menzies from HKIA is in conformity with and gave practical effect to the said Supreme Court judgement that averred that the rule of law demands that Menzies’ unlawful hold over the premises and forcing NAC to make use of its services should be put to an end, as the relevant Supreme Court judgement was implemented by evicting Menzies,” he said.
Various Namibians have recently condemned Menzies’s refusal to leave the airport, with Paragon lawyer Sisa Namandje having voiced his dissatisfaction with Menzies’s action for using delay tactics to hold on the airport contract, and accused the company management of economic greediness.
