One of the remaining 32 former Caprivi treason trial accused suing the government for unlawful detention and arrest has reached an out-of-court settlement.
Tobias N Kananga accepted the government offer of payment while Bosco Matengu Makapa withdrew his claim against the government.
Damages claims against the government vary between N$120 000 and N$150 000 per case.
Already 14 of the former accused have reached out-of-court settlements with the government. The Minister of Home Affairs is the respondent in the matter.
The others still pursuing claims against the government are: Chombo Elvin Kauhano, Moven Kawana Chombo, Vasco Inambao Lionga, Joseph Kabunyana, Joseph Mufuhi, Phelem Mboozi Mutuwangele, Stephen Kandela Mashado, O. Lupalezwi and N. Kandonga.
Attorney Ricardo Mukonda, appearing on behalf of the plaintiffs on instructions of the Legal Assistance Centre, said there are still about 30 cases remaining. But he added that about half of those clients are dead.
The trial in the cases where no out-of-court settlements are reached is expected to take place from February 10 to 21.
The Windhoek High Court in February last year acquitted 43 of the remaining 108 Caprivi high treason accused. Some of them had spent 13 years in jail at the time of their release, while 22 others had died in custody since their arrests in 1999.
The court found there was no evidence on which to find the acquitted men guilty of the 278 charges. The charges included high treason, sedition, nine counts of murder and 240 charges of attempted murder.
In August 1999 members of the Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA) launched an armed attack on government buildings in Katima Mulilo in which six members of the security forces and several other people were killed.
WINDHOEK FRED GOEIEMAN