Staff Reporter
SOCIAL justice activist Michael Amushelelo was today given multiple warnings by High Court Acting Judge Anne-Doris Hans-Kaumbi, who advised him to tread carefully or risk being found in contempt of court after he claimed that Namibian judges are puppets who answer to an appointing authority — the President.
Amushelelo made these remarks during the recusal application of Acting Judge Hans-Kaumbi, who is currently presiding over the matter in which the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, took Amushelelo to court for contempt of court after he allegedly violated a court order from October 2024, which restrained him from making defamatory statements about the Police Chief.
The social justice activist, however, could be faced with another contempt of court order, separate from that of the Shikongo matter, due to averments he made in his application to recuse the judge.
During proceedings, the legal practitioner representing the Chief of Police argued that Amushelelo’s affidavit in the recusal application, specifically paragraph nine, is contemptuous, as he alleged that the court not granting him a postponement to acquire funds for a legal practitioner is tantamount to parents “watching their child being molested.” Nambili Mhata added that these averments affect the dignity of the court and that, based on this alone, Amushelelo should be found in contempt of court.
He added that a recusal test is objective and that the onus rests on Amushelelo to prove that there is an apprehension of bias on the judge. “There is not a single allegation of bias against the judge in this matter,” Mhata said.
Adding fuel to the fire, Amushelelo continued on the offensive, stating that it is laughable to believe that judges are holy simply because they have taken an oath to be impartial, adding that judges think of themselves as gods due to the fact that they are referred to as “Your Lordship” and “Your Ladyship.”
At this point, Acting Judge Hans-Kaumbi again advised Amushelelo to tread carefully, as he may be acting in contempt of court — to which he replied that he would not like to continue playing in a circus for which he does not know the rules.
To this, the learned judge questioned Amushelelo, asking if he was equating her courtroom to a circus.
In response, Amushelelo said this was just a statement in passing and that he is a lay litigant who does not understand the rules of the High Court or what could be regarded as contempt.
“Do you understand the severity of the statements that judges are just puppets and are not independent… Do you stand by your statement that judges being called ‘Your Lordship’ makes them think they are gods?” the judge asked, stating this puts the reputation of the courts in serious disrepute.
Amushelelo answered yes to both questions.
Acting High Court Judge Hans-Kaumbi postponed the matter to 20:00 hours this evening, when she is expected to rule on whether or not to recuse herself from the matter, or find Amushelelo in contempt of court.
Photo: NBC Digital News
