SPYL weighs in on Strauss remarks
The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) has condemned a local engineer Alwyn Strauss for refusing to supervise an engineering trainee because she is black.
According a local daily, Strauss told the trainee Ankita Ndakukamo that he was not willing to share his intellectual property as the government “does not want to give jobs to white people”. Strauss is a registered civil engineer specialising in geotechnical engineering.
The matter sparked outrage last week, with the SPYL saying it will not allow this kind of treatment of young professionals by what it term “self-centred racists”.
Youth league spokesperson Neville Andre Itope also pointed out that it was clear Strauss does not want to contribute to the development of Namibia, despite government embracing the private sector. “It is therefore our call to government not to provide any future work to Strauss’s company.
He can as well immigrate to countries where there are only white people,” the statement noted. The statement demanded that Strauss apologises publicly for his alleged racist remarks that was recorded during a telephone conversation between him and Ndakukamo.
“In addition we urge the Engineering Council of Namibia to investigate this issue and to ensure that Ndakukama is given the opportunity to be supervised so that she can be registered,” SPYL said.
“We call upon the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Employment Equity Commission to investigate racial discrimination at the engineering council.
Furthermore we advise the government to establish an engineering board that will comprise of government and private sector representatives to deal with applications of engineers to be registered.”
When contacted for comment the president of the Engineering Council of Namibia Marcus von Jeney said he was not going to comment on issues that do not have anything to do with him.
JEMIMA BEUKES
According a local daily, Strauss told the trainee Ankita Ndakukamo that he was not willing to share his intellectual property as the government “does not want to give jobs to white people”. Strauss is a registered civil engineer specialising in geotechnical engineering.
The matter sparked outrage last week, with the SPYL saying it will not allow this kind of treatment of young professionals by what it term “self-centred racists”.
Youth league spokesperson Neville Andre Itope also pointed out that it was clear Strauss does not want to contribute to the development of Namibia, despite government embracing the private sector. “It is therefore our call to government not to provide any future work to Strauss’s company.
He can as well immigrate to countries where there are only white people,” the statement noted. The statement demanded that Strauss apologises publicly for his alleged racist remarks that was recorded during a telephone conversation between him and Ndakukamo.
“In addition we urge the Engineering Council of Namibia to investigate this issue and to ensure that Ndakukama is given the opportunity to be supervised so that she can be registered,” SPYL said.
“We call upon the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Employment Equity Commission to investigate racial discrimination at the engineering council.
Furthermore we advise the government to establish an engineering board that will comprise of government and private sector representatives to deal with applications of engineers to be registered.”
When contacted for comment the president of the Engineering Council of Namibia Marcus von Jeney said he was not going to comment on issues that do not have anything to do with him.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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Namibian Sun
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