Nudo feud faces High Court

The battle over control of one of Namibia's oldest political organisations, Nudo, moved to the High Court in Windhoek. The DTA of Namibia is now set to hear whether it has succeeded in its bid to prevent the National Unity Democratic Organisation, which was registered by Herero Paramount Chief Kuaima Riruako, from participating in the Grootfontein Regional Council by-election. At stake is not only the entry of the former DTA member party - into the first election it will have contested on its own since Independence - registered by Riruako. The status of the DTA as an alliance of previously ethnically-based political organisations of which Nudo is - or was - one of the main components, and the question of whether the DTA leadership will be able to halt the party falling apart into its component parties, are also at stake. Acting Judge John Manyarara was landed with the task of ruling which incarnation of the 39-year-old organisation was the "fake Nudo" and which one the "real Nudo". He will have to decide whether the party registered by Riruako is either of those and whether its candidate will be allowed to take part in the by-election at Grootfontein. (The Namibia, Windhoek)