‘Draconian’ lockdown to be challenged

‘Draconian’ lockdown to be challengedFive-month blockade devastates local economy A law firm is threatening to challenge the lockdown of coastal towns in court. LEANDREA LOUW

WALVIS BAY

Metcalfe Beukes Attorneys is ready to drag the government and the health ministry to court over the Covid-19 lockdown imposed on Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis.

The lawyers are acting on behalf of Metrotech Calibration Services, it emerged last Friday in a letter addressed to health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula.

According to the letter, it has been almost five months since Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis have been in lockdown with “draconian” regulations being applied that “restrict constitutional rights”.

Moreover, stigma and discrimination surround residents of these towns as a result of legislation which has unfairly targeted Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis, they said.

‘Abuse of human rights’

Lawyer Richard Metcalfe also stated that the economies of Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis have been totally demolished as a result of the five-month lockdown.

“Our instructions are that should any further draconian regulations be imposed on Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis after 29 August 2020, our client will approach the High Court of Namibia for relief from what appears to be an unnecessary, oppressive, economically destructive abuse of human rights inflicted by Covid-19 regulations, specifically applicable to the three towns.”

The lawyer said because of the lockdown, about 90% of tourism businesses and accommodation establishments, restaurants and coffee shops had to close down.

“Such closures have seen the extermination of employment opportunities in these affected areas. All three towns are but shadows of their former vibrant selves with starvation, begging and crime being the ultimate consequence.”

Economic destruction

Metcalfe said a specialist in disease management in Namibia, Dr Kwasi Yeboath, has advised that the measures implemented to combat Covid-19 are impossible to implement in the country.

“Yet such measures are now implemented in Windhoek, Rehoboth and Okahandja, where the promulgated regulations have already destroyed the economy of the industrial heartbeat of Namibia in Walvis Bay.”

The lawyer added that the pandemic appears to be on course to completely drown the economy.

“HIV/Aids is estimated to have caused 3 052 deaths in Namibia in 2020 [so far] and remains set to be the number one cause of death in our country. Why is this leading cause of death not receiving the attention that the Covid-19 pandemic has received and/or the ridiculous amounts of money and attention spent on Covid-19?”

“It is obvious to even the obtuse that where multiple and concentrated Covid-19 tests are conducted, infections will be found,” the lawyer said.

Cause of death confusion

“What is further disturbing to our client is that death certificates are issued by attending physicians stating that the cause of death was due to … heart failure, myocardial infarction and cancer. When the cadaver is sent to the mortuary, such death certificates are changed to provide Covid-19 as the cause of death,” Metcalfe claimed.

According to the attorney, this causes further trauma to bereaved families and, in some instances, self-quarantine is imposed.

“False statistics appear to be generated for some ulterior purpose to artificially increase the morbidity rate alleged to be cause by Covid-19,” he said.

‘Ridiculous curfew’

The letter further stated that the “ridiculous curfew” imposed “just adds salt to the deep wound inflicted by Covid-19 regulations without any logic in law and/or reason where there is no civil unrest.

“Children suffer from the elimination of their right to education. Our client is not the only business entity and/or citizens residing in the Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis local authority areas who will institute such litigation.”

Residents of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund have staged numerous protests against the lockdown.

leandrea@republikein.com.na