In a recent press release, the politically embattled NUNW president, Alpheus Muheua, reaf?rmed that he saw nothing wrong with NUNW's affiliation to Swapo.

Muheua revealed that NUNW was founded through a resolution taken and passed at Swapo's consultative congress in 1979 in Tanga, Tanzania.

He said that the Tanzanianestablished umbrella union was aimed at "political mobilisation against the insults and humiliation at the hands of the white supremacist and racist regime".

The aim was to gain self-determination (national independence).

Muheua implied that the workers were not part of the initiation of NUNW but Swapo was.

I re?ected back to recall the events that happened due to the winds of change.

The resolutions were passed to change the names of organisations like Owambo People's Organization (OPO) to South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo) because it was not accommodative to all the Namibian people.

Also Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was aimed at the total independence for the African states, therefore it was turned into African Union (AU) that is spearheading African development.

Further, the League of Nations that was aimed at stabilising the world after the WWI and WWII was turned into United Nations (UN) that aims for the maintenance of world peace and the protection and respect of human rights on this planet.

If NUNW is still preaching about "political mobilisation again the white supremacist and racist regime", then its leadership is living in the past.

Our focus today is more of human- centred development, infrastructure development, rooting out corruption etc in an independent Namibia! The umbrella union might have been lost and becomes a victim of political manipulation today.

The NUNW president was honest enough to reveal the true colour and necessity of such a federation by defensively arguing that, "some of them (disgruntled people) out of political desperation are even colluding with some of the opposition parties as well as some of their cronies in some parastatals to wage a war against the workers of this country.

We are watching them.

Of course with some of them who have realised that their political aspirations and prospects within and through the Swapo party are dashed, it is only easy to see how they are naively trying to bounce back, yet at their own peril".

NUNW has been in a "cold war" with the misdirected opponents, referred to as opposition parties.

Does that mean opposition parties have succeeded in penetrating and dividing Swapo? Muheua revealed that the ?ght is all about one's "political aspirations".

This is the reason why the conclusion derived from his argument is that, "there is/will be no difference between a Swapo wing and NUNW".

There are also some revealing facts as follows: * The political statements usually made by the Swapo-af?liated trade unions or their federation union are biased, discriminatory, divisive and personalised to bene?t the selected political elite in the ruling party.

* The umbrella union was one of the ?rst to come to the defence of the Swapo president because of the April 1, 1989 massacre.

Some NUNW senior leaders and champions of af- ?liation were ousted from the leadership posts for not defending Nujoma and being the pro-Hamutenya.

* Muheua was reported to be among the union leaders who campaigned for Nujoma's favourite candidate - current President Hi?kepunye Pohamba.

* The national workers' union in Namibia, NUNW, blatantly defended the N$5-million lawsuit against The Namibian newspaper, by Nujoma.

* The failed demonstrations "In defence of the Father of the Nation against the insults by the enemy of the Namibian Nation" was visibly spearheaded if not organised by NUNW.

* Most, if not all, the Deputy Ministers and or lawmakers have been entering the government branches through NUNW.

I failed to ?nd any of the above has the interest of the workers at heart, irrespective of their political af?liation.

Any entity established by Swapo is Swapo's own and the one that is instituted by the workers is the workers' own.

There must be a difference between Swapo, workers', government's problems.

Some people who try to be politically loyal and correct do not even differentiate between Swapo and Nujoma's personal problems.

The Swapoaffiliated trade unions think that all the workers are naturally af?liated to Swapo like the unions and the government to Swapo.

This country has a government with structures in place which includes: Parliament, Executive and Judicial branches that need no backing of any political party's Constitution or manifesto.

The following arguments show how ignorant, silly and morally corrupt we have become: NUNW is not a member of any trade union's negotiation forum.

But the trade unions which are members/af?liated to NUNW are supposed to have an in?uential negotiation forum.

They have only one option to go for: to preserve the harmony with its federation union with which they are af?liated to or vigorously ?ght for the interests of their members, without fear or favour.

Look at what NAPWU is currently doing with the nurses' problems.

It has completely failed to ensure the protection of the nurses' interest and defends the government instead.

Why is it that dif?cult to convince your members to avoid a protest and pressure government to solve the problem amicably? Can NUNW be in harmony with Swapo if one of its af?liates turned hostile? Mr.

Muheua might not know what does the af?liation accord entails.

What follows below is a quotation from Swapo party's policy if not its Constitution, "with the exception of the President, Vice President, Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General, the Politburo has the authority to expel any member of the party or suspend any af?liate organisation for serious misconduct or violation of the Constitution and in the case of an af?liate organisation, refer the matter to the Central Committee for ?nal decision".

The message is very clear that: any federation union or its members which becomes hostile or violate the Swapo Constitution will face harsh consequences.

They all have to toe the line by obeying the Swapo Party Constitution, Manifesto, and Party policy.

They have to be disciplined and implement all the resolutions taken.

NANU has therefore violated all of the above and its leaders and members are now a victims of attacks and death threats.

NUNW is made up of affiliated trade unions; NAPWU, NANTU, NAFAU, NATAU and MUN.

That means, if there is no trade union membership, there will be no NUNW.

Does it make sense to argue that the train's trailers are not part of a train? A person who is shocked by electricity can also shock other people who touch him/her.

Now, Muheua is a Deputy Director of Industrial Relations in the Of?ce of the Prime Minister.

He is employed to deal with the grievances, complaints and stand-offs on the side of the employer (OPM).

At the same time Muheua is a President of National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), the name which explains itself that the umbrella is supposed to be a federation that serves the workers of Namibia.

The ball is now on Muheua's court on how to serve two conflicting portfolios.

Muheua made his habitual slip that "some defeated ex-combatants must remember that NUNW's congress has pronounced itself on the wishes of the workers and the workers could be better judges".

The is a saying that goes: "Those who consume bread do not know how hard it was before it is brought onto the table".

The ex-combatants have done their homework by contributing immensely to the liberation struggle of this country.

What defeated them after 15 years of independence? Unless, Muheua does not know what he want in politics.

He needs to brief the public as to what role he played in our struggle for self-determination.

Some individuals are arguing that the Namibian Constitution does not also say "there must be no af?liated trade unions".

The same Constitution obliges that, "All persons shall have the right to assembly peaceably and without arms (Article 21 (1) (d)".

Can we stoop so low to argue that it does not say, "do not assemble in violence with arms"? Or because the Antirape Act is meant for persons so we have the right to "rape" animals? The Namibian Constitution has clearly stated that, "All persons shall have the right to freedom of association, which include freedom to form and join associations or unions, including trade unions and political parties".

Which political party or trade union is to be de?ed while it is Constitutionally guaranteed? The very same Constitution that is represented by our leaders, is the same they are violating for personal gain.

The State is also dictated, according to Article 95 (c), "to actively promote and maintain the welfare of the people by adopting, inter alia, policies aimed at the following: active encouragement of the formation of independent trade unions to protect workers rights and interests, and to promote sound labour relations and fair employment practices".

What role is the Namibian government playing then? Is it to encourage or discourage dependent trade unions? We are then doing injustice to the workers of this country through af?liation.

The political leaders and senior civil servants must perform their duties guided by the objectives of the Namibian Constitution, by public interest and their conscience.

On the arguments that NUNW had held many congresses since independence that took the resolutions to remain af- ?liated to the Swapo Party.

"A happy marriage is the union of two forgivers", Robert Quillen, journalist and cartoonist (1887- 1948).

"We have strategic structures of consultations in place at which structures the NUNW's input is sought by a given to unions having particular dif?culties in their collective efforts with employers".

When does Mr.

Muheua apply strategic structures of consultations and give input on unions dif?culties in the collective efforts with employers? The government is the main employer in this country.

My fellow Namibians can row the boat as far as they wish but the writing is on the wall! Steven Mvula Windhoek

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