Swapo Youth take aim at WAD on baby views

THE Swapo Youth League has blasted Women’s Action for Development (WAD), claiming that the organisation is “inhumane”.

At the same time, WAD has approached Prime Minister Nahas Angula to call the Secretary General of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Evilastus Kaaronda, to order. Acting Secretary of the Youth League, Eveline !Nawases-Taeyele, issued a media statement yesterday in defence of the NUNW, which recently attacked WAD’s views on unmarried women.A circular issued by WAD Executive director Veronica de Klerk proposed that staff members who fell pregnant after May 1 2005 and delivered during February 2006 should not receive bonuses.She argued that bonuses were a privilege and were not required by the labour law.When contacted by The Namibian, De Klerk said the directive had never been implemented even though she had urged unmarried staff members to use the “anti-baby medication” available free of charge at clinics and hospitals.”Why should women raise half-orphans if they can get married?” she asked earlier.The Swapo Youth League charged that calling people half-orphans because they were born out of wedlock was “inhuman and modern apartheid practices”.It said Namibians could not have anything to do with what it alleged was “a right-wing conservative organisation”.”The Swapo Party Youth League does not view WAD as an authentic representative of the Namibian women, because that role is successfully and satisfactorily carried out by the competent Swapo Party Women’s Council,” she said.In the meantime, WAD has written to Prime Minister Angula saying Kaaronda’s action was malicious, demotivating and obviates the necessity to continue with an extremely demanding programme instead of opting for a cosy eight-to-five job or going into retirement.”The plight of the poor, however, remains a nagging reality from which WAD finds it difficult, if not impossible, to simply walk away,” the letter said.WAD appealed to Angula to consider ways of making it possible for “one of the few well-organised and very hard-working organisations” to continue its work without unfair and distracting interferences which could seriously jeopardise development and donor funding.The letter was signed by De Klerk, board chairperson Reverend Nangula Kathindi, her deputy Anne Gebhardt and legal advisor Dr Buckhard Dobiey.They make up the executive committee of the WAD board.*See also Political PerspectiveActing Secretary of the Youth League, Eveline !Nawases-Taeyele, issued a media statement yesterday in defence of the NUNW, which recently attacked WAD’s views on unmarried women.A circular issued by WAD Executive director Veronica de Klerk proposed that staff members who fell pregnant after May 1 2005 and delivered during February 2006 should not receive bonuses.She argued that bonuses were a privilege and were not required by the labour law.When contacted by The Namibian, De Klerk said the directive had never been implemented even though she had urged unmarried staff members to use the “anti-baby medication” available free of charge at clinics and hospitals.”Why should women raise half-orphans if they can get married?” she asked earlier.The Swapo Youth League charged that calling people half-orphans because they were born out of wedlock was “inhuman and modern apartheid practices”.It said Namibians could not have anything to do with what it alleged was “a right-wing conservative organisation”.”The Swapo Party Youth League does not view WAD as an authentic representative of the Namibian women, because that role is successfully and satisfactorily carried out by the competent Swapo Party Women’s Council,” she said.In the meantime, WAD has written to Prime Minister Angula saying Kaaronda’s action was malicious, demotivating and obviates the necessity to continue with an extremely demanding programme instead of opting for a cosy eight-to-five job or going into retirement.”The plight of the poor, however, remains a nagging reality from which WAD finds it difficult, if not impossible, to simply walk away,” the letter said.WAD appealed to Angula to consider ways of making it possible for “one of the few well-organised and very hard-working organisations” to continue its work without unfair and distracting interferences which could seriously jeopardise development and donor funding.The letter was signed by De Klerk, board chairperson Reverend Nangula Kathindi, her deputy Anne Gebhardt and legal advisor Dr Buckhard Dobiey.They make up the executive committee of the WAD board.*See also Political Perspective