Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The two factions of SWANU, one led by Evilastus Kaaronda and another by Charles Katjivirue, have agreed to withdraw their claims against each other, subject to the signed terms and conditions in the High Court on Monday.
In 2023, the faction of Kaaronda went to court, demanding that Katjivirue and his followers cease calling themselves elected party leaders and stop using party letterheads, emblems, and colours for campaigns.
According to court documents, this occurred after Katjivirue and his faction held a meeting on 22 May 2021, at Tjiri Lodge in the Omaheke region.
Katjivirue then organised an extraordinary congress on 21 August 2021, at the Thabita Centre in Windhoek, where he was purportedly elected as Swanu president.
Kaaronda’s faction considered all of these actions to be a violation of the provisions of the Swanu constitution and should be declared invalid and of no effect.
Kaaronda also claimed that Katjiverue’s actions were unlawful and harmful to the party’s public standing and good reputation.
He added that these actions are divisive of the party’s membership and have caused disharmony.
“The defendants’ aforesaid unlawful conduct has had the consequence of paragraphs 6.2 and 6.3 hereof, and the defendant’s unlawful verbal threat on 23 August 2021 to forcefully take over the plaintiff’s office. As a consequence of the defendants’ aforesaid unlawful conduct, the plaintiff is entitled to an order restraining and interdicting the defendants’ aforesaid unlawful conduct,” reads the court documents.
At the end of the case on Monday, the two factions agreed that Kaaronda and Katjivirue would meet on or before 19 May to agree on the preparations for calling an extraordinary central committee meeting.
Each party will pay its own legal costs and must confirm that they voluntarily signed the agreement in the presence of their respective legal practitioners.
“The parties agree that this settlement agreement is to be made an order of court, should the Honourable Court deem it so fit,” reads the court documents.
