NEFF defies cops, keeps targeting businesses

NEFF yesterday blocked the security boom at Namib Mills, which prevented the company's management from entering the premises, as well as trucks from leaving and entering the premises.The party's commissar for economic development, Michael Amushelelo, said they decided to do this because the management refused to talk to them.“We are a peaceful organisation, and we decided to block their way, now they cannot enter or carry out whatever goods they need to carry,” he said.Amushelelo said Namib Mills does not want to increase their employees' salaries.“This is a multimillion-dollar company, they make millions of dollars every year, they claim that they are feeding the nation but in actual fact they are killing our brothers. We don't want this at all,” he said.Yesterday's targeting of Namib Mills comes after the police deputy inspector general for operations, Joseph Shikongo, said they will not allow anarchy or chaos due to these kinds of activities.Shikongo was speaking at a press conference held in Windhoek on Friday. He urged victims of any form of exploitation in the workplace to work through the relevant structures.He said there are unions, but still people go around shutting down businesses and encroaching on responsibilities that are not theirs. “We are warning people who are doing that, as an organisation we are not supporting any form of exploitation, but if there is exploitation, it must be addressed through the structures,” he said. Yesterday, Khomas police commander Ismael Basson said he was waiting for a report from the officers who were on the scene of the Namib Mills incident.Amushelelo said there are certain companies “who want to act funny”. “We will show them who is funnier,” he said.Namib Mills spokesperson Selma Moongo declined to comment on the incident. Yesterday's incident follows a similar situation at Embwinda Fishing at Walvis Bay last week, where a security guard barred NEFF member of parliament Longinus Iipumbu and Amushelelo from entering the company's premises.Amushelelo in a statement said they wanted to engage the fishing company's management on workers' issues. “We gave management an opportunity to engage with us, however, management decided to be arrogant,” he said. The NEFF leaders in turn blocked the gate with their vehicles in order to force management to engage with them. The duo was also turned away from Swakop Uranium recently. The mine's head of security told them to follow procedures before entering the mine.