Africa-Press – Namibia. INDEPENDENT Patriots for Change spokesperson Immanuel (‘Imms’) Nashinge has agreed to apologise to the social media personality Betty Davids and pay her N$60 000 after she sued him for N$400 000 in a defamation case.
Nashinge and Davids, also known as Beata Siteketa, last week signed an agreement to settle a lawsuit which Siteketa instituted against Nashinge in March this year. Judge Eileen Rakow made the settlement agreement an order of the High Court on Monday.
In terms of the agreement, Nashinge will make an unconditional apology to Siteketa over remarks he made about her in a WhatsApp group on 3 March. He is now acknowledging the remarks were defamatory and hurtful towards Siteketa and that he had no right to make such a statement about her.
Nashinge also agreed to pay N$60 000 to Siteketa “for the harm caused to [her] name and dignity”. The money is to be paid in instalments of N$2 000 a month.
Nashinge has to post the settlement agreement and court order on the same WhatsApp group where he had made the remarks over which Siteketa slapped him with the lawsuit.
In the remarks he made, Nashinge referred to Siteketa as a “kid that is known for sleeping around with older man” (sic), and also said: “We cannot be using state institutions to promote prostitutes”.
The remarks were made in connection with an online talk in which Siteketa, under the name Betty Davids, participated with Nangula Uaandja, the chief executive officer of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board, on 3 March.
Siteketa alleged in her defamation claim that Nashinge’s intention was to portray her to the public as a person of “low moral scruple”, as incompetent and unqualified to participate in a public discussion about investment in Namibia, and as promiscuous and someone whose “appearance may scare away investors from investing in Namibia because of her sexual adventures”.
She further stated in her claim that she has degrees in law, accounting and business administration, and that Nashinge’s remarks damaged her reputation “as an academically accomplished and capable person”.
Siteketa was represented by lawyer Sisa Namandje. Nashinge, represented by Veiko Alexander, initially gave notice that he would defend Siteketa’s lawsuit against himself.
