Foreign Policy Blogs

Update:Namibia Non-governmental Organisations Forum (Nangof) Trust Challenges the SADC Demo Ban

This is just a quick update about the SADC summit underway in Windhoek, Namibia. The chairperson of the Namibia Non-governmental Organisations Forum (Nangof) Trust, and fellow trustees have asked the Windhoek High Court to declare both the SADC demonstration ban and section 2 of the Public Gatherings Proclamation, AG 23 of 1989 unconstitutional. Nangof Trust’s challenge follows a police ban on public demonstrations or gatherings in Namibia up to the end of this week when the SADC summit ends.

The reason for the ban is, apparently, the Namibian Police are unable to guarantee the safety of the protesters due to a heavy schedule as a result of the SADC summit. Read more here: http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2010/august/article/demo-ban-faces-challenge/

Meanwhile, President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia is the new boss of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for the next 12 months. The Namibian president took over the chairmanship from
Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 

Author

Ndumba J. Kamwanyah

Ndumba Jonnah Kamwanyah, a native of Namibia in Southern Africa, is an independent consultant providing trusted advice and capacity building through training, research, and social impact analysis to customers around the world. Mos recently Ndumba returned from a consulting assignment in Liberia in support of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
In his recent previous life Ndumba taught (as an Adjunct Professor) traditional justice and indigenous African political institutions in sub-Saharan Africa at the Rhode Island College-Anthropology Department.

He is very passionate about democracy development and peace-building, and considers himself as a street researcher interested in the politics of everyday life.
Twitter: NdumbaKamwanyah