Kaaronda’s Supporters Close Ranks

Nico Smit

9 June 2011

The ongoing saga between embattled NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda and other senior leaders in the trade union federation has triggered an uprising which could result in a split in the NUNW.

On Tuesday evening, representatives from trade unions affiliated to the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) as well as some of the NUNW national leadership held a meeting in Walvis Bay to gather support for Kaaronda through a petition.

Representatives from the Erongo regional branches of the Namibia Public Workers Union (Napwu), Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (Manwu) and the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (Mun) attended the meeting.

Hendrik Wasserfall, NUNW vice treasurer and Walvis Bay branch chairperson for Manwu, said that a mass gathering was planned at the Kuisebmond community hall in Walvis Bay today. The aim of the meeting is to express disappointment at the manner in which Kaaronda has been treated, as well as on gathering support and further protecting Kaaronda.

Wasserfall said that NUNW President Elias Manga had sided with those who want Kaaronda out, and has called on him to defend his position.

“The leadership of the NUNW, including comrade Kaaronda, have been elected by the workers, and there are elements within the NUNW who want to remove him by means of a coup,” Wasserfall said, as he pledged that the NUNW Secretary General would be defended at all costs.

The NUNW vice treasurer said that the trade union federation had not been able to look after the interests of workers since its new leadership took office last year, because it had been dealing with an internal struggle to topple Kaaronda.

When asked what the possibility was of a split within NUNW, Wasserfall drew the battle lines, saying that it was a possibility. He added that today’s meeting would also discuss the staging of a mass protest in support of Kaaronda in Windhoek in the coming days.

Manga yesterday said that he was unaware of any meetings by representatives of unions affiliated to NUNW, and said that he had no knowledge of a mass demonstration either.

When asked for comment over the statement made by Wasserfall that Kaaronda would be defended at all costs, the NUNW president declined to comment. Manga also did not confirm or rule out a split in the trade union federation, saying that it would be difficult to predict such an event.

“Depending on the effect of the demonstration and how it is done, it can be a volatile situation, but it is difficult to predict a split,” Manga said.

The NUNW president said that recent events have been both significant for and detrimental to the trade union federation.

“The core purpose of serving on trade union leadership is to protect the interests of workers, with all these differences between the leaders, energy which could have been spent on the interests of the workers is lost,” Manga said.

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