NUNW in-fighting takes a new turn

RECENT in-fighting at the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), fuelled by political differences at Swapo level, has resulted in a new mysterious, yet unsigned, statement which borders on character assassination.

The statement, which targets NUNW first vice president Alpheus Muheua, has been rejected by the top leaders who all said they were not aware of a meeting which decided on it. It is in direct response to attempts by those closest to Swapo President Sam Nujoma to take over the union’s top leadership as NUNW prepares for a watershed congress in March.The new statement was issued on a NUNW letterhead but is unsigned and “certified as true copy for and by the leadership of NUNW”.In it the author/s claim that the Central Executive Committee meeting that decided to expel the NUNW’s acting secretary, Peter Naholo, was convened unprocedurally and he thus remains the head of the union secretariat.It said the CEC meeting was a clandestine one done in the name of the “vanguard movement of the workers” and showed the extent to which the “greyhound” would go in a quest to destroy freedom.Getting almost personal, the statement said Muheua had no known liberation credentials other than of a man singing for his superiors and firmly placing himself at the centre of the Swapo party commotion.”Mr Muheua chooses to be a tool and a franchiser of division and politics of hate that borders on violence,” the statement said.It said Muheua was suspended with immediate effect and will no longer address the workers.”Because of his politics of hate, he is not fit to speak for and on behalf of the workers, or address the workers on any issue.The workers have, therefore, been directed to ignore Mr Muheua and any further pronouncement from his side would be regarded as disgruntled individual worthy (of) no response by NUNW.Formal charges would then be duly brought on Mr Muheua,” the unsigned statement said.Muheua said neither he nor NUNW President Risto Kapenda or acting secretary general Evalustus Kaaronda had any knowledge of a meeting where such a decision was taken.”It’s a fake.You can see it is not signed and the author is not known,” Muheua told The Namibian.Towards the end of last year Muheua and others such as Peter Nevonga of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) issued a statement backing Swapo President Sam Nujoma’s account of the events of April 1 1989.Naholo wrote a letter to fellow union leaders and took issue with them over the statement.He said the NUNW had never decided to issue a statement, as claimed by those who released it behind his and Kapenda’s back.Claiming that it was a collective decision of all NUNW affiliates, the statement from Muheua’s group backed Nujoma’s denials that he was to blame for the deaths of hundreds of Swapo fighters as the then commander-in-chief of the ruling party’s military wing.However, Naholo said a letter was issued by the secretariat calling for wider consultations “as well as prudent consideration of the matter around which the media statement revolved”.Naholo was appointed by the NUNW Central Committee after the resignation of Ranga Haikali and some unionists felt that the NUNW was in breach of labour laws by not conducting a disciplinary hearing before dismissing him.In-fighting in the umbrella union, which is affiliated to Swapo, will heat up as the congress in March nears.A new leadership will be elected at that congress that will, in turn, basically have 10 voting rights at next year’s Swapo congress where a new leader will be elected for the ruling party.It is in direct response to attempts by those closest to Swapo President Sam Nujoma to take over the union’s top leadership as NUNW prepares for a watershed congress in March.The new statement was issued on a NUNW letterhead but is unsigned and “certified as true copy for and by the leadership of NUNW”.In it the author/s claim that the Central Executive Committee meeting that decided to expel the NUNW’s acting secretary, Peter Naholo, was convened unprocedurally and he thus remains the head of the union secretariat. It said the CEC meeting was a clandestine one done in the name of the “vanguard movement of the workers” and showed the extent to which the “greyhound” would go in a quest to destroy freedom.Getting almost personal, the statement said Muheua had no known liberation credentials other than of a man singing for his superiors and firmly placing himself at the centre of the Swapo party commotion.”Mr Muheua chooses to be a tool and a franchiser of division and politics of hate that borders on violence,” the statement said.It said Muheua was suspended with immediate effect and will no longer address the workers.”Because of his politics of hate, he is not fit to speak for and on behalf of the workers, or address the workers on any issue.The workers have, therefore, been directed to ignore Mr Muheua and any further pronouncement from his side would be regarded as disgruntled individual worthy (of) no response by NUNW.Formal charges would then be duly brought on Mr Muheua,” the unsigned statement said.Muheua said neither he nor NUNW President Risto Kapenda or acting secretary general Evalustus Kaaronda had any knowledge of a meeting where such a decision was taken.”It’s a fake.You can see it is not signed and the author is not known,” Muheua told The Namibian.Towards the end of last year Muheua and others such as Peter Nevonga of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu) issued a statement backing Swapo President Sam Nujoma’s account of the events of April 1 1989.Naholo wrote a letter to fellow union leaders and took issue with them over the statement.He said the NUNW had never decided to issue a statement, as claimed by those who released it behind his and Kapenda’s back.Claiming that it was a collective decision of all NUNW affiliates, the statement from Muheua’s group backed Nujoma’s denials that he was to blame for the deaths of hundreds of Swapo fighters as the then commander-in-chief of the ruling party’s military wing.However, Naholo said a letter was issued by the secretariat calling for wider consultations “as well as prudent consideration of the matter around which the media statement revolved”.Naholo was appointed by the NUNW Central Committee after the resignation of Ranga Haikali and some unionists felt that the NUNW was in breach of labour laws by not conducting a disciplinary hearing before dismissing him.In-fighting in the umbrella union, which is affiliated to Swapo, will heat up as the congress in March nears.A new leadership will be elected at that congress that will, in turn, basically have 10 voting rights at next year’s Swapo congress where a new leader will be elected for the ruling party.