Vacate Positions, Namibian High Court Tells Zimbabwean Architects And Quantity Surveyors

Namibian High Court judge Shafimana Ueitele has ordered 29 Zimbabwean architects and quantity surveyors who were employed by Namibia’s Ministry of Works and Transport to vacate the positions if they are not registered with the Namibia Council of Architects and Quantity Surveyors. The decision comes after five Namibian architect firms and four firms of quantity surveyors filed an application at the Windhoek High Court in mid-September asking the court to set aside the Minister of Works and Transport’s decision to exempt the 29 Zimbabweans employed in the ministry from having to be registered with the Namibia Council of Architects and Quantity Surveyors.

The 29 Zimbabwean architects and quantity surveyors were employed by Namibia’s Ministry of Works and Transport following an agreement between the governments of Namibia and Zimbabwe. However, judge Ueitele also declared that the agreement has come to an end, and as such the 29 Zimbabweans have no right to continue working at the ministry.

He further reviewed and set aside a decision by the Minister of Works and Transport, Alpheus Naruseb, to exempt the 29 Zimbabweans from having to be registered as architects or quantity surveyors with the Namibia Council of Architects and Quantity Surveyors, and declared that all decisions and acts taken or performed by the council on the basis of Naruseb’s decision were unlawful and thus were reviewed and set aside.