Unapologetic Ya Nangoloh labels IPC’s legal threat as ‘rubbish’
Kenya Kambowe
RUNDU
Namrights leader Phil Ya Nangoloh says he will ignore the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC)’s demands for an apology for comments he made about the party in relation to audio circulating in which the author wishes death on President Hage Geingob.
Ya Nangoloh, who described IPC’s actions as “complete rubbish”, said he will not apologise, and added that under common law, political parties cannot sue an individual.
“There will be no apology. I will ignore their lawyer with impunity. It is complete rubbish,” he said.
“IPCs defamation case, if ever it reaches the High Court, will be dismissed on premises that political parties, like government, have no personality to sue individuals for defamation.”
IPC - through lawyer Henry Shimutwikeni - wrote to Ya Nangoloh last Friday demanding that he apologise to the political party for comments made on various WhatsApp groups.
IPC gave Ya Nangoloh until 17:00 on Wednesday to make a retraction on the platforms where he made the comments. Failing to do so, IPC threatened to take legal action and will demand for N$500 000 for allegedly tarnishing the image of the party.
Damage
“We are instructed to demand that the retraction should be published by yourself in all the WhatsApp groups and all the social media platforms on which the original defamatory messages were shared,” the letter read.
“Should you fail to heed to our demand, we hold instructions to immediately institute, and vehemently pursue, legal proceedings against yourself to seek that the court order that you pay our clients an amount of N$500 000, which is the damage your defamation innuendos, insinuations, suggestions and statements have caused our clients.”
According to IPC, Ya Nangoloh shared an audio clip which was recorded by a certain Jonas Imanuel Muukeshe in which the author is said to have wished death on the president.
On 6 September, Ya Nangoloh allegedly authored and distributed a message in relation to the audio recording, titled ‘IPC activist wished president were dead’.
On 9 September, Ya Nangoloh wrote a message indicating that the police arrested Muukeshe, IPC said.
Tarnished
The party argued that in the audio, there is no mention of IPC, while its database has no record Muukeshe being an IPC member.
IPC has taken issue with Ya Nangoloh’s comments, arguing that the image of the political party has been tarnished by his actions and it’s on this basis they want him to apologise – or else.
[email protected]
RUNDU
Namrights leader Phil Ya Nangoloh says he will ignore the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC)’s demands for an apology for comments he made about the party in relation to audio circulating in which the author wishes death on President Hage Geingob.
Ya Nangoloh, who described IPC’s actions as “complete rubbish”, said he will not apologise, and added that under common law, political parties cannot sue an individual.
“There will be no apology. I will ignore their lawyer with impunity. It is complete rubbish,” he said.
“IPCs defamation case, if ever it reaches the High Court, will be dismissed on premises that political parties, like government, have no personality to sue individuals for defamation.”
IPC - through lawyer Henry Shimutwikeni - wrote to Ya Nangoloh last Friday demanding that he apologise to the political party for comments made on various WhatsApp groups.
IPC gave Ya Nangoloh until 17:00 on Wednesday to make a retraction on the platforms where he made the comments. Failing to do so, IPC threatened to take legal action and will demand for N$500 000 for allegedly tarnishing the image of the party.
Damage
“We are instructed to demand that the retraction should be published by yourself in all the WhatsApp groups and all the social media platforms on which the original defamatory messages were shared,” the letter read.
“Should you fail to heed to our demand, we hold instructions to immediately institute, and vehemently pursue, legal proceedings against yourself to seek that the court order that you pay our clients an amount of N$500 000, which is the damage your defamation innuendos, insinuations, suggestions and statements have caused our clients.”
According to IPC, Ya Nangoloh shared an audio clip which was recorded by a certain Jonas Imanuel Muukeshe in which the author is said to have wished death on the president.
On 6 September, Ya Nangoloh allegedly authored and distributed a message in relation to the audio recording, titled ‘IPC activist wished president were dead’.
On 9 September, Ya Nangoloh wrote a message indicating that the police arrested Muukeshe, IPC said.
Tarnished
The party argued that in the audio, there is no mention of IPC, while its database has no record Muukeshe being an IPC member.
IPC has taken issue with Ya Nangoloh’s comments, arguing that the image of the political party has been tarnished by his actions and it’s on this basis they want him to apologise – or else.
[email protected]
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