NUNW comes out divided

ALTHOUGH secretary general of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Evilastus Kaaronda, emerged unscathed from the special Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, rifts within the union grew more pronounced after Saturday’s meeting.

The CEC meeting decided not to suspend Kaaronda amidst mounting pressure from workers, but a decision to appoint Alfred Angula of the Namibia Farmworkers Union (NAFWU) as deputy secretary general of the NUNW will be challenged by those unions who refused to vote on the matter. Angula is to act in the position after Bobby Kandjala, who was elected at the union’s last congress, resigned. According to president of the Namibia Financial Institutions Union (NAFINU) Asnath Zamuee who was present at the meeting, the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu), the Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU), and the Namibian Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU) voted in favour of Angula. Those that did not endorse his appointment were NAFINU, the Metal and Allied Workers Union (Manwu), and the Mine Workers Union of Namibia (MUN). Zamuee said votes within NATAU and NAPWU were split. ‘The workers did not want him [Angula] at the congress; why should a backdoor manner now be used to get him in that position?’ said Zamuee. This sentiment was also echoed in a petition handed over to the NUNW leadership by disgruntled union members. ‘In doing so they are trying to paint a picture to make the legitimate elected Secretary General [Kaaronda] incompetent and not able to handle the workers’ affairs,’ the petition read. Members of Parliament Peter Ilonga and Loide Kasingo attended the CEC meeting as associate members, which also stirred up discontent among union leaders. Zamuee said the MPs’ presence in the meeting were to sow ‘confusion’ and to try and push through Kaaronda’s suspension. ‘Why should the CEC, which is the second highest decision-making body, be attended by ministers and MPs? This is just not right. They are employers. This is something we need to discuss,’ said Zamuee. Workers who have gathered at the meeting venue on Saturday also criticised the attendance of president of Nafau, Abel Kazondunge, who is currently unemployed. They said that only a worker can be a union member and represent the interests of other workers, and demanded for an extraordinary congress to be held ‘with immediate effect’ to clear discontent over the NUNW’s leadership. ‘The best thing would be to call a special congress to choose a new leadership,’ said Zamuee, adding that those unions dissatisfied with the appointment of Angula, would meet on the way forward. Workers handed over a petition to the NUNW leadership with a demand that all the resolutions adopted at the fifth national congress be implemented ‘indiscriminately with immediate effect’.Among those resolutions was that genuine efforts be made to recover ‘every penny’ of the lost Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) Development Capital Portfolio (DCP) saga, and that those responsible for the losses be held accountable. The congress also resolved that Cabinet, through President Hifikepunye Pohamba, release a forensic audit on the affairs of the DCP, which was concluded but is now being withheld from the union. The petitioners said the GIPF matter is not a ‘Kaaronda’ issue, while some union leaders isolated themselves from the GIPF resolution contrary to the mandate given by the congress. They also expressed their dismay with NUNW president Elias Manga’s denial that death threats were made against Kaaronda. The workers said they have noticed that some general secretaries of affiliated unions have ‘orchestrated’ the dismissal of Kaaronda by calling the special CEC meeting, which they said was constituted unconstitutionally. They demanded that investigations into Kaaronda be dropped with immediate effect, and that the embargo placed on him be lifted. ‘In fact such investigations are done with ulterior motives’, the petition said, adding that these were cowardly and self-serving attempts by ‘some’ general secretaries to oust Kaaronda. They said the NUNW leadership is failing to execute its given mandate, and that some general secretaries are out to ‘destroy the federation by protecting their own interest’ and not paying up their 10 per cent membership fees to the umbrella body.The petition said many affiliated unions like Nafau, Napwu, and Nafwu have failed to hold their congresses as provided for in their constitutions, and that office bearers’ terms have since expired. It said workers are thus concerned about the unconstitutional and ‘deliberate extension’ of the term of office of the union leadership ‘at the expense of the workers’, saying that NUNW should compel the unions to hold their congresses without delay.