Rani owner: I fear for my life
NEFF confronts tycoon over worker treatment
The politically-connected Indian-born businessman was at the receiving end of F-word-laden expletives from the NEFF leader.
Ali Dharani, the managing director of Rani Group of Companies at Oshakati, opened a case against the leader of the Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), Epafras Mukwiilongo, accusing him of threatening his life.
In a brief statement submitted to police in the Oshana Region, Dharani stated that Mukwiilongo threated to kill him with a firearm, adding that this took place on the premises of the Rani Group wholesale at Oshakati.
He said it happened when he was standing in front of the wholesale and he was approached by NEFF activist Michael Amushelelo yesterday at about 11:00.
“Amushelelo and I went outside the shop and I saw a mob of NEFF members and they were trying to stop the operation of the business. Amushelelo told his members that he is busy talking to me and further informed them to be patient,” Dharani said in his statement.
He said Mukwiilongo then threatened that he would close his business, to which he responded that he could go ahead and do so.
Fear for my life
“Mr Epafras Mukwiilongo replied back to me that he will f**k me up and he further continued threatening me by saying that I must not play with him and he will kill me,” Dharani said, adding that he responded to the threats by saying that Mukwiilongo could keep talking.
The Indian-born businessman said Mukwiilongo repeated five times that he would kill him, and that Namibia is his motherland.
The fracas between the two followed a planned national boycott of shops owned by the Rani Group of Companies, led by Amushelelo, which failed dismally.
The boycott was scheduled to take place on Wednesday from 12:00, but when Namibian Sun visited some of the shops at Oshakati and Oshikango, it was business as usual.
Amushelelo called for the shutdown after the company reportedly laid off 100 employees at Oshakati.
Dharani said he fears for his life and, if anything happens to him, NEFF and Mukwiilongo are responsible.
“I don’t feel safe and my life is in danger. That’s why I decided to open [a case] against him at the Oshakati Police Station,” he said.
Abusing Namibians
Contacted for comment, Mukwiilongo - who was unmoved - told Namibian Sun yesterday afternoon that he has not been contacted by the police, but that he had heard that a case was opened against him.
“I have nowhere to take Ali. He must do what he wants. He is abusing Namibians. I don’t care about his case. This is really our motherland. He must go ahead with whatever he wants to do, I am not afraid,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Dharani said he is not happy that NEFF is interfering with the group of companies’ internal processes.
He further denied reports that 100 employees have been laid off, but said internal investigations and disciplinary hearings are pending.
“It was 50 to 80 employees suspended. No one is laid off. They [NEFF] want to interfere with our internal processes,” Dharani said, adding that he told Amushelelo and his team that they should provide an order from a competent court for him to close his shop.
Absconded from work
According to Dharani, the suspended employees took part in a demonstration on 15 December, and some of them reported for duty and signed the clock-in sheet as though they were at work, but ‘absconded’ to attend the demonstration.
“Some employees were also threatened by others to go and join the demonstration. We need to get to the bottom of all of this. Who was on approved leave? Who absconded, and who was threatened? All these questions need answers,” he said.
Questions to Oshana police regional commander, Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, on the matter went unanswered.
In a brief statement submitted to police in the Oshana Region, Dharani stated that Mukwiilongo threated to kill him with a firearm, adding that this took place on the premises of the Rani Group wholesale at Oshakati.
He said it happened when he was standing in front of the wholesale and he was approached by NEFF activist Michael Amushelelo yesterday at about 11:00.
“Amushelelo and I went outside the shop and I saw a mob of NEFF members and they were trying to stop the operation of the business. Amushelelo told his members that he is busy talking to me and further informed them to be patient,” Dharani said in his statement.
He said Mukwiilongo then threatened that he would close his business, to which he responded that he could go ahead and do so.
Fear for my life
“Mr Epafras Mukwiilongo replied back to me that he will f**k me up and he further continued threatening me by saying that I must not play with him and he will kill me,” Dharani said, adding that he responded to the threats by saying that Mukwiilongo could keep talking.
The Indian-born businessman said Mukwiilongo repeated five times that he would kill him, and that Namibia is his motherland.
The fracas between the two followed a planned national boycott of shops owned by the Rani Group of Companies, led by Amushelelo, which failed dismally.
The boycott was scheduled to take place on Wednesday from 12:00, but when Namibian Sun visited some of the shops at Oshakati and Oshikango, it was business as usual.
Amushelelo called for the shutdown after the company reportedly laid off 100 employees at Oshakati.
Dharani said he fears for his life and, if anything happens to him, NEFF and Mukwiilongo are responsible.
“I don’t feel safe and my life is in danger. That’s why I decided to open [a case] against him at the Oshakati Police Station,” he said.
Abusing Namibians
Contacted for comment, Mukwiilongo - who was unmoved - told Namibian Sun yesterday afternoon that he has not been contacted by the police, but that he had heard that a case was opened against him.
“I have nowhere to take Ali. He must do what he wants. He is abusing Namibians. I don’t care about his case. This is really our motherland. He must go ahead with whatever he wants to do, I am not afraid,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Dharani said he is not happy that NEFF is interfering with the group of companies’ internal processes.
He further denied reports that 100 employees have been laid off, but said internal investigations and disciplinary hearings are pending.
“It was 50 to 80 employees suspended. No one is laid off. They [NEFF] want to interfere with our internal processes,” Dharani said, adding that he told Amushelelo and his team that they should provide an order from a competent court for him to close his shop.
Absconded from work
According to Dharani, the suspended employees took part in a demonstration on 15 December, and some of them reported for duty and signed the clock-in sheet as though they were at work, but ‘absconded’ to attend the demonstration.
“Some employees were also threatened by others to go and join the demonstration. We need to get to the bottom of all of this. Who was on approved leave? Who absconded, and who was threatened? All these questions need answers,” he said.
Questions to Oshana police regional commander, Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, on the matter went unanswered.
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