Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro
Where are the workers and how do they feature on the Namibian political landscape. Not to mention if ever the political manifestos, for what they would be worth, most for that matter which are still outstanding, would in any way speak to the plight of Namibian workers and issues surrounding their wellbeing?
Yours Truly Ideologically is prompted to pose this question with the Swapo Party of Namibia having emerged from its electoral college most recently. But of with its parliamentary list, with hindsight, conspicuous with regard to the absence of the representatives of the workers.
Workers in Namibia, especially members of one of the workers’ unions’ federation, the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), affiliated to Swapo, cannot be said to have no voices. This is as much as their chosen voice, the NUNW, has been shown to be wanting, if not completely mute and or absent in terms of representing the workers.
A result of the marriage of convenience between the NUNW and Swapo, now a liberation struggle relic in view of the proven track record of the NUNW since independence in terms of meaningfully representing.
Willfully so given that more than anything it has been seeming that one way or another the NUNW has developed convenient affinity with Swapo no longer dictated in any way and by any imagination by the interests of the workers but by the elitist self interests of their leaders.
Who have joined the club of aspiring club of economic elites. Which, despite the peripheral economic interests of these illusional elites.
Because more than anything, they are serving the capitalists and has become a tool for the continued entrenchment of capitalism in the pertaining neo-colonial phase.
As much as Yours Truly Ideologically would wish to give those on the Swapo Party parliamentary list the benefit of the doubt, in the belief that all this party’s members of parliament have been and are to represent all social classes and sectors of society, including the workers and peasants, the experience over the last 34 years does not speak to this.
As most of these MPs, if not all of them, have at at best just been bench warmers, and at worst, consciously and unconsciously, equally guilty of adopting laws, acquiescently and with little dissent, laws eroding the basic constitutional rights of the citizens, including those of workers.
With the interests of the workers only receiving, the few occasions that it has been able to ever get any attention in this chambers, being in passing if not politically expedient rather than as a matter of ideological conviction in the cause of the workers.
In fact unlike in the days and during the liberation struggle, when the liberation struggle when it and the struggle of the workers was integral, those days seem long gone never to return. . This is despite the fact that the struggle of the workers is far from having been won.
Because these struggle was and has been and is still against capitalism, which in Namibia remains very much entrenched. With no signs whatsoever that it shall one day be torn asunder.
A typical law lately that the current crop of parliamentarians have made themselves guilty of betrayal of the Namibian citizens, including the workers, whom they have pledged and taken an oath to serve, is the Public Gatherings and Public Processions Bill.
Which, if it is adopted and becomes law, stands to grossly erode the rights of the citizenry, including that of the workers to protest and picket.
There’s no two ways about it that the Public Gatherings Bill, more than anything else, is politically motivated by gagging the voices of the people, including workers, especially as one of the potent tools of the citizens and workers, has the freedom of assembly, for whatever legitimate reason.
Thereby expressing their dissatisfaction regarding one or the other aspect of socio-economic and political organisation, be it by the government, industry, and what have you. Which now stands to be curtailed drastically by the authority that be.
Bringing to an end any civil disobedience, which is in any democracy an important tool of self expression.
Be that as it may be Your Truly Ideologically cannot see how the mixed bag of new and old, can reverse what could be the begging of a downward spiral on the road of the degeneration and erosion of civil and political rights. The Namibian Constitution, under Article 21, guarantees freedom of speech and expression and freedom to assemble peacefully.
Connected with public demonstrations which is and has been one avenue through which workers have been able to express themselves and ventilate their grievances. Only for such an avenue now to be threatened. Ironically by none than the very government in a tripartite alliance which include the NUNW.
There can be no any other way of looking at this as retrogression which is presided over by what is supposed to be a progressive government and a progressive parliament, claiming to have the interests of workers at heart. Not only this but in which the NUNW is an important stakeholder. Unless indeed the stake holding is and has been only a cooption of the workers to silence them.
The Bill has for now been withdrawn. But is and can this just be for the expediency of the elections?
A trajectory has been unfolding in terms of, among others, advancing the rights and freedoms of the workers. Which, needless to say, does not and cannot inspire the workers. Thus studying the Swapo Party parliamentary list, as may be those of other political parties, on face value, true and genuine. Unless the new crop of parliamentary aspirants would like to assure the workers otherwise.
But this assurance should in the least have been contained and guaranteed by the manifestos of the various political parties. Otherwise Namibian workers cannot but consider themselves outcasts and doomed.
