Nantu agrees to resume paying NUNW fees

THE Namibia National Teachers’ Union (Nantu) has reluctantly agreed to start paying its affiliation fees to the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).

Nantu informed Saturday’s Central Executive Council (CEC) meeting of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) that they would start making the payments after the teachers’ union congress in August. They also apologised for the recent statements made on the outcome of the NUNW congress.Nantu issued a statement separately in which Secretary General Miriam Hamutenya revealed that they had decided to “let bygones be bygones” and to move on to continue partaking in the development of Namibia “other then spend time on orchestrated political infighting among the workers of this country.”The National Teachers’ Council (NTC), the highest decision-making body of Nantu, had ordered Hamutenya and its President Ndapewa Nghipandulwa to apologise to the NUNW leadership for calling the recent congress a farce because of alleged flawed implementation of rules.Hamutenya said Nantu was a union of intellectuals and professionals and reaffirmed unanimously that the NUNW congress was characterised by “all sorts of bias, favouritism of unions not in good standing, and violation of the NUNW Constitution”.”For the sake of progress, the National Teachers Council (NTC) resolved to resume the payment of the affiliation fees.However, due to financial constraints and the National Congress approaching, Nantu will only resume the monthly payments after the (Nantu) Congress”.Hamutenya said the NTC called on the NUNW to operate in a fair manner and respect the rule of law as well as the principle of natural justice in handling issues related to its affiliates.She challenged the NUNW to “be bold enough to acknowledge that there were wrongdoings at the Congress rather than pretending that everything went well”.”The public knows the truth of what transpired there,” she said.She said the NTC did not agree with the NUNW public statement that Nantu’s debt was written off.”The NTC cautioned NUNW to refrain from making serious unfounded allegations against Nantu,” Hamutenya said.Earlier Hamutenya placed a newspaper advertisement and also wrote to NUNW General Secretary Evilastus Kaaronda and Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb informing them that her union would no longer pay affiliation fees because of the way its delegates were treated at the NUNW congress.Some of the Nantu and Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia delegates walked out of the congress after they claimed repeated attempts to have their proposals heard were shot down and they were relegated to mere spectators.Nghipandulwa and Hamutenya argued that the NUNW constitution clearly stated that affiliates that were not in good standing had no right to vote at the congress or to nominate candidates, yet unions that had not paid their dues had more say than the paid-up unions.When Nantu tried to raise the issue of non-payment of dues, Nghipandulwa said, no attention was paid to it.The same people were the ones who refused to allow suspended acting Secretary General Peter Naholo from being given the floor to address the congress, she noted.The two unions demanded clarity on the “real” reasons behind acting Naholo’s suspension.They also apologised for the recent statements made on the outcome of the NUNW congress.Nantu issued a statement separately in which Secretary General Miriam Hamutenya revealed that they had decided to “let bygones be bygones” and to move on to continue partaking in the development of Namibia “other then spend time on orchestrated political infighting among the workers of this country.”The National Teachers’ Council (NTC), the highest decision-making body of Nantu, had ordered Hamutenya and its President Ndapewa Nghipandulwa to apologise to the NUNW leadership for calling the recent congress a farce because of alleged flawed implementation of rules.Hamutenya said Nantu was a union of intellectuals and professionals and reaffirmed unanimously that the NUNW congress was characterised by “all sorts of bias, favouritism of unions not in good standing, and violation of the NUNW Constitution”.”For the sake of progress, the National Teachers Council (NTC) resolved to resume the payment of the affiliation fees.However, due to financial constraints and the National Congress approaching, Nantu will only resume the monthly payments after the (Nantu) Congress”.Hamutenya said the NTC called on the NUNW to operate in a fair manner and respect the rule of law as well as the principle of natural justice in handling issues related to its affiliates.She challenged the NUNW to “be bold enough to acknowledge that there were wrongdoings at the Congress rather than pretending that everything went well”.”The public knows the truth of what transpired there,” she said.She said the NTC did not agree with the NUNW public statement that Nantu’s debt was written off.”The NTC cautioned NUNW to refrain from making serious unfounded allegations against Nantu,” Hamutenya said.Earlier Hamutenya placed a newspaper advertisement and also wrote to NUNW General Secretary Evilastus Kaaronda and Labour Minister Alpheus !Naruseb informing them that her union would no longer pay affiliation fees because of the way its delegates were treated at the NUNW congress.Some of the Nantu and Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia delegates walked out of the congress after they claimed repeated attempts to have their proposals heard were shot down and they were relegated to mere spectators.Nghipandulwa and Hamutenya argued that the NUNW constitution clearly stated that affiliates that were not in good standing had no right to vote at the congress or to nominate candidates, yet unions that had not paid their dues had more say than the paid-up unions.When Nantu tried to raise the issue of non-payment of dues, Nghipandulwa said, no attention was paid to it.The same people were the ones who refused to allow suspended acting Secretary General Peter Naholo from being given the floor to address the congress, she noted.The two unions demanded clarity on the “real” reasons behind acting Naholo’s suspension.