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Mineworkers Onion of Namibia adopts resolutions· Inside
DETAINEES' BASSIVE CLAIM UNION LEADERS AND SWAPO OFFICIALS HELD UNDER SECTION .SIX SUE CABINET FOR ·R365 000 ------By GWEN LISTER------Angola repels SEVEN former Section 6 detainees are claiming a total of R365 000 from the interim teN urges for government Cabinet for wrongful arrest and unlawful deprivation of liberty. Six of the SADF and says seven men, consisting of trade unionists and Swapo officials, were held in detention ' restraint by from August 19 to September 11 last year; and one was held from July 24 to September 60 were killed 11 last year. The plaintiffs are Mr Daniel Tjongarero, Swapo Vice Chairman; Mr Hen all employers drik Witbooi, Swapo Vice President; Mr Niko Bessinger, Swapo Joint Foreign Affairs THE ANGOLAN forces have THE Secretary General of the r epelled a massive South African Secretary; Mr Ben Ulenga, Secretary General of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia Council of Churches in Namibia army offensive against Cuito (MUN);Mr Asser Kapere, Chairman of MUN; Mr Anton Lubowski, National Treasurer (CCN), Dr Abisai Shejavali, has ap Cu an avale, leaving more than 60 of the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (NAFAU); and Mr John Pandeni, pealed to all white and coloured dead and an unknown number of Secretary General of NAFAU. employers of black people in this ~ounded. This was said in a com country, to see to it that their daily munique issued in Luanda by Lawyers for the seven confirmed this rest and detention. ofeach ofthe plaintiffs from detention dealings with their employees Angola's Ministry of Defence week that summons had been served The second plaintiff, Mr Witbooi, (with the exception ofMr Kapere) was reflect an attitudeofpeace,justice yesterday. on the interim government Cabinet in similarly said that he had been detain pursuant to an order by the Supreme and human reconciliation. The SADF offensive began on Sun this regard. The Cabinet has one ed on the same night, August 18/19 and Court on September 11 last year. In its He said that what he had observed day with the bombing of Angolan ar month in which to respond ifthey in thereafter held at Osire. He too claims judgement, the court had found that was "imcomparable to what is suppos my positions by the South African tend to oppose the action for damages. an amount ofRSO 000 for unlawful ar the arrests and detentions of the plain ed to be done by the people who are call Airforce. The summons states that the first rest and detention. tiffs were wrongful and unlawful and ing themselves Christians". According to the communique, "the plaintiff, Mr 1Jongarero; was arrested The third plaintiff, Mr Niko Bess an appeal against this finding by the He said the CCN had received many invading units, which have withdrawn on the night of August 18/19 last year inger, similarly claimsRSO 000; in ad interim government Cabinet was complaints from black Namibians over to defence lines east of Cuito by members ofthe South West African dition to claims ofR50 000 each by Mr - subsequently dismissed by the Full several years, about the often brutal Cuanavale, also lost two aircraft, 15 Police, acting on the instructions of Ben Ulenga;Mr Anton Lubowski and Bench of the Supreme Court on treatment they received at the hands AML-90 armoured cars, eight tanks· Colonel Gerrit Badenhorst. He was Mr John Pandeni. The fifth plaintiff, February 1 this year. of especially white employers. Many, and other vehicles as well as military thereafter held at Osire Siid, near Ot Mr Asser Kapere, who was detained for he said, had been degraded and equipment, in addition to the jiwarongo, and "wrongful1y and a longer period than the other six, is No member of the interim govern dehumanised and beaten up. casualties suffered by the armed Unita unlawfully deprived of his liberty" claiming an amount of R65 000. He ment Cabinet was available for com "As we struggle for ajust society in bands accompanying them". from a period ofabout three weeks. He .was arrested on July 24 at Arandis and ment at the time ofgoing to press as to this country the white and coloured Losses on the Angolan side were 25 had sustained damages in the amount detained both at Arandis and Osire. whether they intended to oppose the employers ought to get rid ofthe old life ofRSO 000 by reason ofthe unlawful ar- The summons stated thattherelease' application. Continued on page J
------By MBATJIUA NGAVIRUE------TWO PROMINENT Swanu (P) members, Mr Kuzeeko Kangueehi, and Mr U siel Tjijenda, appeared briefly in the Gobabis Magistrates Court on Tuesday of this week charged with incitement to commit public violence. The two were later released on bail of R500 each, and confiscation of Mr Kuzeeko Kangueehi their passports. Mr U siel Tjijenda The two men were told that the At Mr Kangueehi, who is the President who told them that they were under ar Court on April 5 and imposing bail of that they could phone people in torney General had ordered that they ofSwanu (P), and Mr1Jijenda, the N a rest and for that reason could not be R500, he also ordered that they sur- Gobabis who in turn could then phone appear in the regional court on April tional Treasurer, were picked up by allowed to travel on their own. Colonel render their passports. . their associates inWindh<,>ek. 5 and they were then released on bail police at their homesat 05h30 on Tues- Nel accompanied them to Gobabis Mr Kangueehi and Mr 1Jijenda told . of R500 each. day morning. . where he handed them over to the local· the magistrate they had been dragged 1:he two m~n insisted th~t . they dId not warit to conpuct bus~ne'ss as impor The charges relate to statements the The policemen told them that they poli~e and ordered that they should be out of their beds at 05h30 and therefor~ tant as th~t ~hr~)Ugh thir!lp~ies)md two are alleged to have made at a had been instructed by Colonel Willem charged. could not be e:x;pected· to be .carrying only ~fter persist~nt ' re
Not true that South African NEW DEPUTY TO fishermen are,taking jobs ATTORNEY GENERAL A PRETORIA man has been ap pointed to the post of Deputy At of locals, says Ewert Benade torney General for Namibia by the interim government Cabinet. Mr W J J (Jan) Hanekom's ap pointment took effect from ------BY MBATJIUA NGAVIRUE ------February 1 this year. THE Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Sea Fisheries said on unless they took drastic measures to Mr Hanekom was employed, on Wednesday that it was not true that South Africans or other out correct the situation they were jeopar a fulltime basis, at the Depart siders were taking the jobs of local fishermen in Walvisbay. dizingthe renewal oftheir concessions, ment of Justice in South Africa , Butitwasnotalwayspracticaltoin since December 11977, as a State Mr Ewert Benade's statement However, when pressed, he was' sist that only local people should be Prosecutor and Magistrate. Since followed recent reports that local unable to give an assurance that the employed since certain jobs in the in January 1 1979, he was a State fishermen were losing their jobs to information supplied by factory and dustry were highly skilled and local Advocate attached to the office of South Africans flocking to Walvis Bay boat owners was either hundred per people to fill these positions were not the Attorney General in Pretoria, , in. search of record high salaries and cent accurate or truthful. always available, and since June 11983 as a Senior wages currently being paid. He was also not able to give any Furthermore he explained that the Mr Jan Hanekom State Advocate. He said that he had received concrete assurance that there would not be peo biggest problem the Directorate faced assurances from the industry that ple who had acquired Walvis Bay was that as a branch of a government there was no truth in th'e reports. adresses simply to get jobs, among department they were not in a position LOAN SCHEME SET Explaining the Deputy Minister's those listed as residents of Walvis Bay to dictate to the private sflctor about statement, the Director of Sea whenhe received the list of names and whom they should employ, or interfere Fisheries, Dr Jan Jurgens said that the addresses. with the free movement of people, TO EXPAND THIS Minister contacted him about the mat Doctor Jurgens said that before they The only weapon available to the ter immediately after the first had allocated concessions under the Directorate to force compliance with newspaper reports appeared. New Fishing Policy, they had handed the new policy was to refuse the He had then sent a telex to the ma out documents in which they set out renewal of quotas for those who had not YEAR SAYS ENOK jor fishing companies and private boat the conditions attached to the complied, ------STAFFREPORTER----______owners on February 8, asking them to concession. The Directorate he said, would respond to the accusations and supp He emphasised that the cornerstone however do its' best to ensure that on THE SHORT-I'erm Bridging money problems. For that reason the size of the loans were small and had to ly detailed information on the com of the new policy was that it would ly Namibiansorbonafide Walvis Bay Loan Scheme, offered by the be repaid within 30 days. position of the workforce. residents were employed, and that if First National Development "measure the degree to which com As an example he said, someone sell He said that he had not yet received panies had acted in the interest ofthe outsiders were employed they would Corporation (Enok), is set for ing goods from house-to-house in his a complete list of names and addresses country." also check whether they were in fact major expansion this year spare time might need to buy stock but of all employees in the industry. The documents clearly stipulated better qualified. when it will become available was maybe short of cash. However, information he had receiv that jobs in the industry must be Dr Jurgens was sceptical of claims to people in all cities and towns The person might know that he can ed from the Executive Committee for reserved for either N amibians or bona that unemployment among fishermen in Namibia. the Pelagic Fishing Industry and fide Walvis Bay residents. was widespread in Walvis Bay. sell the goods within one week and private boat owners on recent person It was also made clear that the deci He said that only recently he had The scheme was introduced in Oc earn enough to repay the loan and also nel changes on all the various boats, in sion of whether a fishing quota would been told by a Mr Mays of the "Boston tober 1986 inorder to assist en earn a small profit. Another example he gave was of a dicated that the claims were not true. be renewed or not, would depend on Wayfarer" that his boat had been laid trepreneurs in the informal sector,like cabinet-maker wlw could borrow He said thaUhe factories and boat whether a concession-holder had com up for a whole week because he could dressmakers, curio·makers, hawkers, money for materials and then repay owners had explained the reasons for plied with these terms. not find a crew. small-scale carpenters and welders. the loan after having sold whatever each individual dismissal and to him The Directorate in 1987 asked the in Theproblem, according to Mr Mays Mr Pieter Bezuidenhout, who is in it did not appear as though anyone had dustry to supply lists of names and ad was that 'he only held a quota for charge ofthe Informal Sector section piece of furniture he had made. He said that up to now loans had lost their jobs without reason. dresses of employees in the industry whitefish and not pelagic fish, and he at Enok, said that until now these been limited to R200,OO but that in Dr Jurgens said it was true that peo and it was found that roughly 70 per claimed that local fishermen now on loans had only been available in Win ple from outside Walvis Bay had been dhoek (Katutura), Oshakati and 1988 Enok had decided to lend larger cent of the fishing workforce were , ly wanted to work in the pelagic fish in amounts. ' flocking to the town in the hope of fin either South Mricans or from outside Keetmanshoop. dustry where fantastic wages were be The amount lent would depend on ding high paying jobs in the pelagic Walvis Bay. But this year Enok planned to ex ing paid because oflarge quotas and thE;! needs ofthe applicant's business, fish industry, but there was no He said this figure had come as a tend the service to all the towns where catches. and his ability to repay. evidence to show that they were taking great shock and the Directorate had there was an Enok office, and to those The recent newspaper reports of poor After the first loan a person could the jobs of local residents. warned factory and boat owners that working conditions in the fishing in- towns where there were, enough ap ______. dustry were _based on reports by a plications to make a trip by their staff apply for a similar second loan, and if the business grew the size of the loan group called the Labour Activity Cen worthwhile. Loans are provided to anyone trying might gradually grow. tre which interviewed several Mr Bezuidenhout said that Enok fishermen in Walvis Bay. to establish a business enterprise either fulltime or parttime . also offered several special services One ofthose interviewed, Mr Cedric together with the Bridging Loan,like Miller, said that he had been dismiss Mr Bezuidenhoudt explained that · THE ROSSING FOUNDATION these people would not normally get training in basic business practices, ed from his position on a boat called the and consultation and advice. has a vacancy for a "Condor" without reason and could assistence from commercial banks now not find work. because they had nothing to give as However, Dr Jurgens said that these security, and often no fixed business statements were misleading, because premises. CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY it was a long established practice in the He said that the aim of the loans was Housing report fish.ing inqustry that every skipper that they should be easy and fast to get. chose his own crew, and Mr Miller had Because of this Enok required no to be tabled at lost his job because his skipper had security and only . minimal The Hea:d Offi .ce-9~;tDe ROSSing Foundation been replaced. ' documentation. in Windhoek 'i's looklng -~for a Confidential When Mr Miller had phoI)ed him People,who applied for loans only meeting in March around Christmas and New Year to tell had to give Enok the following Secreta'ry, " ~~" - : : ' ,':_ ~,"-~ - , him about his problem he had told him infor~ation: . . that he was very sorry, but there was • An Identity document. THE INTERIM government Cab The successf~l ca~'di.date shpuJ,d have a good nothing he could do. • A fixed residential and busin.ess inet is to convene a conference on According to his information Mr address. housing at the Academy on March command ' ofth'e- English -'language and Miller had been offered a position on • Say what they weregoing to,use the . 23 and 24. According to a press revious 'secretarialexperience i~ a pre- ' another boat called the "Christian loan for. . release last week, the Cabinet's Bayer," He had been asked to take his • Prove that their business was not Hpusing Committee, appointed in requi$ite. Audio typing and Afrikaans will be 'ticket' for inspection to Captain illegai: ' _ November 1985 to formulQte a na Wilson at the Harbour Master's office, • Show that they were not using the tional housing policy for litamibia, an - ~'q".C!~)age.. T~e . ~~iliiy tc?-l}se a word pro- and then report for work the following loantorepayoZddebtsorpersonaldebts. would then table its report. cessor"is importa~t " .. Monday, • Show that they were in a position to Factors taken into consideration by He never reported for work and the repay the debt. the Committee included the need for Theposition involves much contact with Captain of his boat later received a Mr Bezuidenhoudt said that the all types and standards of housing with message to say he was no 109-ger in loans were only meant to help small special reference to sub-economic people and requires'someonewith the abili terested in the job. businessmen who had temporary housing; determination of applicable standards for services related to the tytodealandcommunicatesympathetically relevant types of ho