Lawyer Norman Tjombe has criticised the Okahandja Town Council for what he describes as a “pathetic and outrageous” attempt to block a protest aimed at drawing attention to the recent rape and murder of Ingrid Maasdorp.

Tjombe said that the council appears more concerned with pleasing the business community than with supporting efforts to address gender-based violence.

“Protests are most effective when they draw maximum attention—including from the business community,” Tjombe said in a statement. “They are not meant to be convenient or pleasurable. They are meant to stir empathy and provoke action.”

He further noted that Namibian citizens have a constitutional right to protest and do not require permission from local authorities to do so.

Okahandja Mayor Beatrice Kotungondo denied permission for the planned protest and asked residents to postpone it until after the planned tourism expo.