The High Court has ordered former Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS) to compensate social activists Michael Amushelelo and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma for their arrest, detention and prosecution.

They were arrested following a demonstration against unemployment in 2023.

In a judgement delivered on Wednesday, the court awarded Amushelelo N$300,000, while Nauyoma was granted N$80,000.

The government was also ordered to pay the legal cost.

The case stems from the pair's arrest during an unemployment protest held in Windhoek in 2023. 

The demonstration coincided with Independence Day and was subsequently cancelled by Shikongo.

Amushelelo and Nauyoma subsequently challenged their arrest, detention and prosecution in court, arguing that their constitutional rights had been violated.

Their lawyer, Kadhila Amoomo, described the judgement as one that is a watershed in the history of Namibia, saying the judgement speaks to the right to assemble and protest.