Plot to oust Nantu leaders exposed

A VICIOUS crusade, spearheaded by the Namibia Public Workers’ Union (Napwu), to oust the top two office bearers of the Namibia National Teachers’ Union has started.

The Namibian has evidence of letters sent to Nantu regional leaders asking them to call an extraordinary leadership meeting where they want to pass a vote of no confidence in Nantu President Ndapewa Nghipandulwa and Secretary General Miriam Hamutenya. The letters were sent to the regions by Nantu Deputy Secretary General Basilius Haingura with specific instructions that neither Nghipandulwa nor Hamutenya be told about the secret meeting.They were also instructed to fax their replies, in which they confirm their attendance, to the Napwu head office instead of Nantu, where Haingura would collect them and arrange the secret meeting to oust the two.The crusade emanates from differences at the recent National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) fourth congress, which Nantu declared a farce because of alleged flawed implementation of rules.Some Nantu and Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia delegates walked out of the congress after repeated attempts to have their proposals heard were shot down and they were relegated to mere spectators.The two unions demanded clarity on the “real” reasons behind acting NUNW General Secretary Peter Naholo’s suspension but the Namibia Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) and the Namibia Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Nafau) refused to discuss the issue.In the letter to the Nantu regional leaders signed by Haingura, instructions were given that the Nantu leaders in regions like Oshana and Ohangwena, where Nghipandulwa and Hamutenya have strong support, should not be invited to the secret National Teachers’ Council (NTC) meeting.The time and venue have yet to be confirmed, although a source indicated that it would take place as soon as enough regional responses had arrived.However, some regional Nantu leaders who objected to the secret arrangement are believed to have tipped off the Nantu head office.Haingura was in a meeting with other NUNW leaders for most of yesterday.A furious Hamutenya is also believed to have responded to the regional leadership, reminding them that no meeting could be arranged from the office of a sister union, in this case Napwu.She claimed that Napwu’s intervention bordered on conflict of interest and informed the regions that it would be costly to have another NTC meeting after they had one three weeks ago.NTC, the highest decision-making body of Nantu, met recently in Windhoek as they prepare for a congress in August.It is believed that Haingura has the blessing of Nantu Vice President Joseph Dinyando.Both of them refused to walk out when Nantu protested at the congress and aligned with Napwu.The letters were sent to the regions by Nantu Deputy Secretary General Basilius Haingura with specific instructions that neither Nghipandulwa nor Hamutenya be told about the secret meeting.They were also instructed to fax their replies, in which they confirm their attendance, to the Napwu head office instead of Nantu, where Haingura would collect them and arrange the secret meeting to oust the two.The crusade emanates from differences at the recent National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) fourth congress, which Nantu declared a farce because of alleged flawed implementation of rules.Some Nantu and Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia delegates walked out of the congress after repeated attempts to have their proposals heard were shot down and they were relegated to mere spectators.The two unions demanded clarity on the “real” reasons behind acting NUNW General Secretary Peter Naholo’s suspension but the Namibia Public Workers’ Union (Napwu) and the Namibia Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Nafau) refused to discuss the issue.In the letter to the Nantu regional leaders signed by Haingura, instructions were given that the Nantu leaders in regions like Oshana and Ohangwena, where Nghipandulwa and Hamutenya have strong support, should not be invited to the secret National Teachers’ Council (NTC) meeting.The time and venue have yet to be confirmed, although a source indicated that it would take place as soon as enough regional responses had arrived.However, some regional Nantu leaders who objected to the secret arrangement are believed to have tipped off the Nantu head office.Haingura was in a meeting with other NUNW leaders for most of yesterday.A furious Hamutenya is also believed to have responded to the regional leadership, reminding them that no meeting could be arranged from the office of a sister union, in this case Napwu.She claimed that Napwu’s intervention bordered on conflict of interest and informed the regions that it would be costly to have another NTC meeting after they had one three weeks ago.NTC, the highest decision-making body of Nantu, met recently in Windhoek as they prepare for a congress in August.It is believed that Haingura has the blessing of Nantu Vice President Joseph Dinyando.Both of them refused to walk out when Nantu protested at the congress and aligned with Napwu.