
The High Court proceedings in the contentious Veterinary Cordon Fence (Red Line) case took another turn as Judge Shafimana Ueitele rejected a report by a government-commissioned consortium led by prominent lawyer Dirk Conradie.
Applicants wanted to use the report as evidence of the potential legal, economic, and social implications of keeping or removing the redline.
The respondents objected to the document’s admissibility, arguing that it lacked supporting witness statements and expert evidence, labelling it as hearsay.
Mbushandje Ntinda, representing activist Job Shipululo Amupanda, countered that the document had been properly discovered and was permissible under the court’s case management rules.
Ntinda also cited a Supreme Court judgement as precedent to support the admissibility of the document.
However, Judge Ueitele ruled against Ntinda’s arguments, rejecting the report as evidence.
The courtroom, just as observed yesterday, is filled with heated exchanges between the judge and the applicant’s legal team.
The matter continues, with the trial set to address the constitutionality and alleged discriminatory nature of the Veterinary Cordon Fence.