Staff Reporter
THE President of the United People’s Movement (UPM), Jan van Wyk, has been ordered by High Court Judge Shafimana Ueitele to reinstate former UPM members Celeste Becker, Joseph van Wyk, and Moretha van Wyk, who he relieved of their duties on 28 February 2023 after the court declared the move unlawful and thus void.
In a press statement, UPM announced at the time that the party fired its Member of Parliament, Celeste Becker, which allegedly put the party in a financially precarious position. In addition to this, three other members of the party, Melvin van Wyk (Treasurer) and his wife Moretha van Wyk (Chairlady), and Mr J. Coetzee (Deputy Secretary General) were also relieved of their duties after it was determined that they were not eligible for election as office bearers.
The UPM said that while the party had an election budget of N$150,000, the party spent around N$293,000.00 and that this frivolous spending was sanctioned by the former Secretary General Becker without the approval of the UPM Management. The fired members subsequently instituted court proceedings against the UPM’s management committee and its president Jan van Wyk, leading to the overturning of the decision.
“The decision taken on 28 February 2023 by the first defendant, Mr Jan Johannes Van Wyk, to relieve the first plaintiff, Mr Joseph Nicolaas Melvin Van Wyk, of his responsibilities as National Treasurer of the second defendant (United People’s Movement (UPM) of Namibia) is declared unlawful, void, and is set aside. The decision communicated on 06 March 2023 by the first defendant, Mr Jan Johannes Van Wyk, to relieve the second plaintiff, Ms Elizabeth Celeste Becker, of her responsibilities as Secretary General of the second defendant (United People’s Movement (UPM) of Namibia) is declared unlawful, void, and is set aside. The decision taken on 28 February 2023 by the first defendant, Mr Jan Johannes Van Wyk, to relieve the third plaintiff, Moretha Johanna Van Wyk, of her responsibilities as National Chairperson of the second defendant (United People’s Movement (UPM) of Namibia) is declared unlawful, void, and is set aside. The defendants must, with immediate effect, restore each plaintiff to the position he or she was elected at the Elective Central Committee meeting held on 14 May 2022.” Justice Ueitele said in his court order dated 31 July 2024.
The UPM and its president were further instructed to pay the first, second, and third plaintiffs’ costs of the suit.
