The Windhoek High Court has ordered former Windhoek Mayor Job Amupanda to fully disclose his financial status in his ongoing lawsuit against the government.
Amupanda is suing the government over the veterinary cordon fence, also known as the red line. He wants the court to declare that the erection of the veterinary cordon fence has not been carried out in terms of any law and that it is unconstitutional.
He has since lodged a counter application to stop the high court from ordering him to pay the defendant’s legal fees, should he be unsuccessful in his redline challenge.
According to Amupanda, the lawsuit is of public importance, underpinned by social justice and not for personal or political gain. He further argues that a protective costs order will ensure that the parties litigate on equal footing. Amupanda has indicated that he anticipates the costs of this action to run into millions of dollars, adding that he has limited financial resources and as such, will not be able to pay the defendant’s legal costs if the matter dismissed with costs.
Judge Shafimana Ueitele on Tuesday found that Amupanda did not satisfy all the requirements for his request, in that he did not fully disclose his financial situation. He has been ordered to submit his amended documents on 12 September 2023. A status hearing has been scheduled for 26 September 2023.
“Based on the financial situation presented by Mr Amupanda, the court is not in the position to arrive at a conclusion as to whether or not it is just and fair for the court to grant a protective costs order in his favour, and what conditions must be imposed if indeed the protective costs order is granted,”Ueitele remarked.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency