‘I have no right to interfere in NAFAU dispute,’ says Ndemula

Staff Reporter

A MINISTER, as a political office-bearer, has no authority to interfere in internal trade union disputes. This was said by Labour Deputy Minister Hafeni Ndemula in a letter dated 20 November 2023, addressed to disgruntled members of the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU). He was responding to a letter addressed to him by a group of NAFAU members who requested the minister’s intervention in a dispute over a recent NAFAU congress.

The twelve signatories of the letter — Reinhold Shipwikineni, Elias Jonker, Johannes Nande, Asalia Mushinga, Johannes Thomas, Gerson Heita, Frans Amutenya, Filip Amutenya, Simeon Alfeus, Pamela Iipumbu, Fillemon Imbili, and Leonard Ashali — informed the minister that the holding of a congress earlier this month was in violation of the NAFAU constitution, and the election of a new trade union leadership was equally unconstitutional. They, therefore, requested the minister to annul the congress and call for the holding of a fresh one. They attached to their letter a voluminous bundle of documents, newspaper clippings, and signatures of various persons claiming to be aware of irregular practices of the NAFAU leadership.

In response, Deputy Minister Ndemula said, “while acknowledging your allegations, as a minister and as a political office bearer, I do not have the authority to intervene in internal trade union disputes or to call for a new congress.” He referred to the provisions of Section 62 of the Labour Act and said that the dissatisfied trade unionists have the option of approaching the Labour Court either directly or through the Labour Commissioner to seek appropriate relief.