NANLO not seeking govt favours - Kaaronda

The former National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) secretary-general Evilastus Kaaronda has not written to the Ministry of Labour about the moratorium imposed by Labour Commissioner Bro-Matthew Shinguadja on the registration of new worker unions. The moratorium came into effect on October 21. Kaaronda yesterday described the moratorium as “illegal” and an attempt to frustrate the registration of his union, the Namibian National Labour Organisation (NANLO). Last week, Deputy Minister Alpheus Muheua said he had started what he termed a “mini-investigation” into Shinguadja’s decision and advised Kaaronda to write to Labour Minister Doreen Sioka if he felt aggrieved. “We do not want government to do us any favours. We are not beggars. We want the right to form our union to be respected,” Kaaronda told journalists yesterday. “We don’t have to write when we don’t feel like writing. We have instructed our lawyers to take the matter up.” “As far as we are concerned it is a matter of the law. You can’t simply write to the minister or the deputy minister without giving Shinguadja a chance of reply.” According to the unionist, NANLO had instructed its lawyers to write to Shinguadja and the onus would now be on him to indicate where he stands on the matter. Based upon that response, his legal team will decide on what legal action to take, Kaaronda said. “Writing to the minister while we did not apply with her office [to register NANLO] won’t serve us well. I am sure by now Shinguadja might have received the letter from our lawyers. I hope he has regained his sanity.” “We will definitely challenge him if he does not give us what we want.” When contacted for comment yesterday about whether he had received any communication from Kaaronda’s lawyers, Shinguadja was not willing to say anything. “I do not think I should comment on that,” he said. Commenting about speculation that the moratorium was a bid to stop more non-aligned Swapo unions from being formed, Kaaronda said: “I understand the concern, but this [the formation of NANLO] is a result of the party leadership’s own hypocrisy.” Previously, Swapo’s secretary-general Nangolo Mbumba had distanced his party from Shinguadja’s decision. Kaaronda said that the formation of NANLO was in fact about “giving life to key constitutional provisions”. “One... is the right to form a union and (another) one... is the right to form an independent union.” “The constitution does not say form unions, it says form independent unions.,” he said.