Ongombo West takes back fired farmhands

THE owners of Ongombo West Farm have finally reinstated the six workers they fired in November.

The Namibia Farm Workers’ Union announced yesterday that the lawyers for Ongombo West informed its lawyers that they would obey the court order to reinstate the workers. Cornelia Rooinasie, Elias //Hoeb, Immanuel //Hoebeb, Wilfred //Hoebeb, Erik !Ganeb and Ben !Ganeb were sacked for deserting the workplace without permission.But Magistrate Uaatjo Uanivi ruled that the Wiese family had failed to follow the correct procedures and ordered the workers’ reinstatement.The manager of the farm, Andreas Wiese, was also ordered to pay the six workers N$21 000 in outstanding salaries.Last month he re-hired the workers for 24 hours before firing them again on legal advice.Nafwu General Secretary Alfred Angula said Chris Brandt, lawyer for the Wiese family, had informed the union’s legal representative that the family had dropped its claim that the employment contracts were between Hilde Renate Wiese and the workers while the order was against Ongombo West “which is only a name of a farm that has no status or legal capacity to sue or be sued”.Angula said the six started work yesterday morning but would not move back into their houses with immediate effect.”We want to make sure that they are reinstated in a proper manner before they move into the houses,” he said.The six, along with their families, have been camping in the river 200 metres from the farm for the past three months.Nafwu was represented by Kauta, Basson and Kamuhanga Inc.Cornelia Rooinasie, Elias //Hoeb, Immanuel //Hoebeb, Wilfred //Hoebeb, Erik !Ganeb and Ben !Ganeb were sacked for deserting the workplace without permission.But Magistrate Uaatjo Uanivi ruled that the Wiese family had failed to follow the correct procedures and ordered the workers’ reinstatement.The manager of the farm, Andreas Wiese, was also ordered to pay the six workers N$21 000 in outstanding salaries.Last month he re-hired the workers for 24 hours before firing them again on legal advice.Nafwu General Secretary Alfred Angula said Chris Brandt, lawyer for the Wiese family, had informed the union’s legal representative that the family had dropped its claim that the employment contracts were between Hilde Renate Wiese and the workers while the order was against Ongombo West “which is only a name of a farm that has no status or legal capacity to sue or be sued”.Angula said the six started work yesterday morning but would not move back into their houses with immediate effect.”We want to make sure that they are reinstated in a proper manner before they move into the houses,” he said.The six, along with their families, have been camping in the river 200 metres from the farm for the past three months.Nafwu was represented by Kauta, Basson and Kamuhanga Inc.