Namibia: Parties Warn Court Strike Could Paralyse Councils

30 November 2025

Political parties say it would be unfair to voters if duly elected councillors are not sworn in due to the ongoing magistrates' strike.

Affirmative Repositioning (AR) leader Job Amupanda on Tuesday requested the intervention the Presidency in the ongoing work stoppage, which he described as a looming crisis.

The elections took place on Wednesday and the results were announced yesterday.

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In the letter, Amupanda says administrative assistants acting as magistrates "do not have legal qualifications, did not receive proper judicial training and more importantly, are not sworn in as judicial officers".

"The quality of justice, constitutional validity of proceedings, public confidence in the courts is evidently compromised. This is fatal," Amupanda says.

AR chief whip Vaino Hangula says the party is concerned about the elected councillors not being sworn into office.

"The magistrates' strike will impact any candidate be it AR or not that is elected," he says.

Hangula explains that the party previously raised concerns on the implications the magistrates' go-slow has on weddings and bail applications, prior to Amupanda's letter.

The party said the go-slow was an injustice to all Namibians.

Hangula says balance should be restored as the strike impacts every Namibian and their dignity, and not just the regional council and local authority.

Matthew Mumbala, the Swapo regional coordinator for the ||Kharas region, says councillors cannot assume their duties if they are not sworn in.

He says it will not be fair to the citizens in terms of service delivery.

He says the Magistrates' and Judges Association, the Magistrates Commission, the Office of the Judiciary and the justice and labour relations minister must think about the country first.

"They will paralyse regional and local authority governance and the functions of these arms.

"I hope the day after the election they will resume their work, swear in the councillors and go on with their strike thereafter, because they must think of the country," says Mumbala.

Landless People's Movement leader at Keetmanshoop Joseph Isaacks says the failure to swear in councillors will have serious implications of contravening the law.

Isaacks says it is time to find an amicable solution that can satisfy the magistrates, as well as the ministries of finance and justice.

He says the justice minister received the petition from the magistrates three weeks ago, therefore, the minister must be considerate and a national leader to avert a disaster judging from the role and mandate magistrates have.

"He must think about reasonable solutions that might help because he is at the helm of that ministry and must make sure that as a national leader he gives answers to the issues at hand and provides a solution to the magistrates issue."

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