NYC obtains court order against protesters
Youth unhappy with ex-board's removal
Young protesters say they will not be deterred by the latest developments and will file their own appeal in days to come.
The National Youth Council (NYC) yesterday obtained a court order prohibiting protesters who stormed its premises last week Friday from entering the council's buildings again.
The Windhoek High Court ruled in favour of an urgent application by the NYC for a temporary restraining order.
The court order prohibits protesters from disrupting the council's operations, restricting access to the NYC premises, closing the offices, switching off the electricity, and intimidating staff.
NYC's interim chairperson Beverly Silas-!Garas filed the urgent application on Monday against William Minnie, spokesperson for the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) youth league, secretary-general of the People’s Democratic Movement Youth League Julia Nekwaya, and another protester named Jafet Amakali.
"They’re trying to silence us with this interdict," Nekwaya told Republikein yesterday, adding that they will not budge.
The order will remain valid until February 18, after which the parties will appear in court again, and the three respondents will have to prove why the order should not be made final.
The three respondents have already informed the court of their intention to oppose the application and, according to the court order, will submit their answering affidavit before January 24. Parties will reappear in court on February 18.
Protest
The group of about 50 people protested at the NYC offices on Friday, demanding the immediate closure of the office.
The unrest among young people follows the dismissal of the former youth council by the youth minister Agnes Tjongarero, for reportedly not complying with her directives. She subsequently appointed an interim council, with Silas-!Garas as chairperson.
According to Silas-!Garas's affidavit, she was in her office when the group of protesters "stormed" the building.
"The group moved directly toward my office. I locked myself in my office to ensure my safety. My office has glass walls, which made me visible to the group," she explained.
She reportedly contacted the police immediately and shared the events on social media.
"Due to the escalating threat, I began a live broadcast on Facebook to document the incident, protect my safety, and create a public record of the events."
One police officer reportedly arrived at the premises after about 20 minutes and attempted to calm the group of protesters. Silas-!Garas believes this was in vain, as "their behavior remained aggressive."
She further explained that the group made physical threats and intimidated staff by banging on the office windows and doors. She also claimed that they turned off the main electrical switch and that around 20 employees were reportedly forced to leave the premises.
"The group shouted slogans demanding my resignation and threatened to continue their disruptive actions until I stepped down as chairperson," she said.
– [email protected]
The Windhoek High Court ruled in favour of an urgent application by the NYC for a temporary restraining order.
The court order prohibits protesters from disrupting the council's operations, restricting access to the NYC premises, closing the offices, switching off the electricity, and intimidating staff.
NYC's interim chairperson Beverly Silas-!Garas filed the urgent application on Monday against William Minnie, spokesperson for the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) youth league, secretary-general of the People’s Democratic Movement Youth League Julia Nekwaya, and another protester named Jafet Amakali.
"They’re trying to silence us with this interdict," Nekwaya told Republikein yesterday, adding that they will not budge.
The order will remain valid until February 18, after which the parties will appear in court again, and the three respondents will have to prove why the order should not be made final.
The three respondents have already informed the court of their intention to oppose the application and, according to the court order, will submit their answering affidavit before January 24. Parties will reappear in court on February 18.
Protest
The group of about 50 people protested at the NYC offices on Friday, demanding the immediate closure of the office.
The unrest among young people follows the dismissal of the former youth council by the youth minister Agnes Tjongarero, for reportedly not complying with her directives. She subsequently appointed an interim council, with Silas-!Garas as chairperson.
According to Silas-!Garas's affidavit, she was in her office when the group of protesters "stormed" the building.
"The group moved directly toward my office. I locked myself in my office to ensure my safety. My office has glass walls, which made me visible to the group," she explained.
She reportedly contacted the police immediately and shared the events on social media.
"Due to the escalating threat, I began a live broadcast on Facebook to document the incident, protect my safety, and create a public record of the events."
One police officer reportedly arrived at the premises after about 20 minutes and attempted to calm the group of protesters. Silas-!Garas believes this was in vain, as "their behavior remained aggressive."
She further explained that the group made physical threats and intimidated staff by banging on the office windows and doors. She also claimed that they turned off the main electrical switch and that around 20 employees were reportedly forced to leave the premises.
"The group shouted slogans demanding my resignation and threatened to continue their disruptive actions until I stepped down as chairperson," she said.
– [email protected]
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article