The Electoral Court has ruled that the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) pay N$450,000 as security for costs in its ongoing bid to nullify the 2024 National Assembly election results. 

The court ordered the amount be split equally among the three respondents, which include the Electoral Commission of Namibia, President Nangolo Mbumba, and the Swapo Party.

The respondents in the matter requested that the court order the IPC to deposit the funds as a guarantee to cover potential legal costs in the event they lose the case. 

The ruling came after Swapo, President Mbumba, and the ECN initially demanded security amounts of N$600,000, N$500,000, and N$750,000, respectively.

However, IPC's legal team, led by Advocate Anton Katz, argued that no security should be imposed or, alternatively, that the amount be capped at N$100,000.

The IPC had initially offered to pay N$25,000.

The court dismissed IPC's proposal of "zero" security as unacceptable and rejected its argument that the respondents' demands were frivolous and baseless.

During proceedings, Katz argued that the Electoral Court postpone its hearing until the Supreme Court delivers a judgement on IPC leader Panduleni Itula's challenge to the Presidential election results. 

He contended that it would be "just and equitable" to await the Supreme Court's guidance, warning of the risk of contradictory rulings.

But Senior Advocate Raymond Heathcote, representing President Mbumba, objected to the request, criticising the IPC's failure to substantiate its claims. 

Heathcote said that IPC's National General Secretary had publicly alleged that 100,000 affidavits from voters turned away at the polls had been gathered, but that none had been submitted to the court.

Sisa Namandje, representing the Swapo Party, also opposed the IPC's bid to delay proceedings. 

Namandje argued that the Electoral Court, established to address disputes of this nature, must proceed without hesitation, adding that its decisions could provide valuable input for the Supreme Court.

The Court is set to deliver its ruling next Monday on whether the Independent Patriots for Change should put its challenge to the 2024 National Assembly election results on hold, pending the outcome at the Supreme Court.

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Emil Xamro Seibeb