Labourers abandon sleep-in

NINE labourers who have been sleeping outside the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication in Windhoek for the last three nights have abandoned their protest against the Roads Authority.

The group set up camp at the entrance of the Ministry’s headquarters, where the RA is also housed. They had vowed not to move until the parastatal paid 33 of them more than N$180 000, which they said was owed by the parastatal’s former manager.The manager, Adolf van der Merwe, was said to have hired the workers for bush clearing along national roads.Van der Merwe was fired at the end of last year after being found guilty of giving himself bush-clearing contracts through his girlfriend, her mother, her brother-in-law and his colleague’s wife.The workers insist Van der Merwe claimed they were employed by the Roads Authority because they used a vehicle and the offices of the parastatal for supplies at Maltahohe and Mariental.But the RA maintained the contracts had been given to private firms and that Van der Merwe should pay the workers.Group leader Alweendo Awala said they decided to move after Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Moses Amweelo met them yesterday for the second time this week.The Minister made it clear that the workers should not expect payment from the RA, which was created out of the department of transport to maintain the country’s road system.Awala said their case had been referred to the Office of the Labour Commissioner.They had vowed not to move until the parastatal paid 33 of them more than N$180 000, which they said was owed by the parastatal’s former manager.The manager, Adolf van der Merwe, was said to have hired the workers for bush clearing along national roads.Van der Merwe was fired at the end of last year after being found guilty of giving himself bush-clearing contracts through his girlfriend, her mother, her brother-in-law and his colleague’s wife.The workers insist Van der Merwe claimed they were employed by the Roads Authority because they used a vehicle and the offices of the parastatal for supplies at Maltahohe and Mariental.But the RA maintained the contracts had been given to private firms and that Van der Merwe should pay the workers.Group leader Alweendo Awala said they decided to move after Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Moses Amweelo met them yesterday for the second time this week.The Minister made it clear that the workers should not expect payment from the RA, which was created out of the department of transport to maintain the country’s road system.Awala said their case had been referred to the Office of the Labour Commissioner.