I 1986 S apo members i i ia ed he re-emerge ce of he Na io al U io of Namibia Workers (NUNW) . NUNW had e is ed as a ge eral io be ee 1978-1980, af er hich i as forced o f c io dergro d . U il 1986, ho e er, i as esse iall def c .
The re i al of NUNW ook he follo i g form : orkers' commi ees se p i orkplaces ere orga ised i o NUNW as a ge eral io . As soo as a sig ifica mber of orkers' commi ees i a i d s r had bee orga ised, he came oge her o form a i d s rial io . Toda he follo i g i d s rial io s e is :
Namibia Food + Allied Workers U io (NAFAU) 12000 members Mi e orkers U io of Namibia (MUN) 12000 members Me al + Allied Namibia Workers U io (MANWU) 7000 members Namibia P blic Workers U io (NAPWU) 10000 members Namibia Tra spor + Allied Workers U io (NATAU) 1500 members
O er he pas hree ears hese io s ha e o s bs a ial ic ories aro d age ego ia io s a d access agreeme s . Ho e er mos compa ies ref se o recog ise he io s . There are o l recog i io agreeme s a Co solida ed Diamo d Mi i g, Rossi g a d o smaller mi es . The majori of compa ies ill o l ego ia e i h i di id al shops e ard or orker commi ees .
TOWARDS TRADE UNION FEDERATION
I J e 1988 Namibia e perie ced he bigges s a a a i i s his or . The s a a a as orga ised i s ppor of s de dema ds for arm bases o be remo ed from ear heir schools i
he or h . The s a a a demo s ra ed he eed for grea er co- ordi a io a d comm ica io be ee he i d s rial io s der he democra ic co rol of orkers a local, regio al a d
a io al le els .
F r hermore, i h he iss e of Namibia i depe de ce o he age da, he eed for orga ised orkers o ha e a i ed poli ical oice has become more rge . O Ma 12 his ear orkers ill la ch a e federa io o help hem mee hese eeds .
UNIONS SUPPORT SWAPO
Wi h he impleme a io of Resol io 435, he role of he io s i he elec io s has recei ed cri ical a e io . The io s are i ed i s ppor i g S apo, hich he see as he o l par
capable of bri gi g o orkers a go er me commi ed o mee i g heir eeds . The io s ha e herefore resol ed o ac i el mobilise orkers behi d S apo's flag i he elec io s .
Cape Democra s _
Kaapse Demokra e
NO . 5
PRIVATISATION
The io s are c rre l campaig i g s ro gl agai s a emp s b he SWA
Admi is ra or-Ge eral, Lo is Pie aar, o sell p blic ser ices o pri a e compa ies . Ser ices o be sold i cl de hospi als, heal h ser ices, pos a d elecomm ica io s, medical schemes, SWA Broadcas i g Corpora io , a er affairs a d, i some cases, schools .
The io s ha e alread fel he impac of pri a isa io i h 500 orkers dismissed from he Na io al Tra spor Corpora io a d SWABC . Pri a isa io ill also make i more diffic l for orkers
o afford ra spor , a er, elec rici , heal h ser ices a d ed ca io , for heir childre . The io s ha e acc sed Pie aar of a emp i g o sabo age Namibia i depe de ce b selli g off ke p blic ser ices hich o ld be he primar ools of a f re go er me seeki g o address he eeds of i s people .
UNIONS AND INDEPENDENCE
Bo h S apo a d he io s ha e commi ed hemsel es o b ildi g a socialis socie . Ho e er, S apo's rece eco omic polic doc me [Fac shee o .8] i dica es ha his ill o l be possible i he lo g erm gi e he eco om 's s r c ral depe de ce o So h Africa a d m l i- a io al capi al .
His oricall i has bee he i ed ac io of orkers a d heir orga isa io s hich ha e mos effec i el challe ged he res rai ed po er of capi al . For e ample, he 197112 co rac orkers' s rike smashed o e of he mos icio s eleme s of co rol o er he orkforce- SWANLA, he
a io al labo r recr i i g age c . Therefore he role a d s re g h of he io s af er i depe de ce ill be cri ical i de ermi i g he e e o hich a eco omicall j s socie ca be b il .
VIEWS OF THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
The follo i g q o es are e rac s from a i er ie i h Be Ule ga, Ge eral Secre ar of he MUN (Namibia , 20 .1 .1989) :
"The las o ears ha e see a sig ifica gro h i rade io s i Namibia . There are o io s co eri g all major i d s ries of he eco om . B his does ' mea e ha e achie ed e er hi g . There are s ill orkers i he co r ho eed o be orga ised . The s re g h-of a io does ' o l depe d o he mber of members, b o ho s ro gl a d effec i el ha io is orga ised, par ic larl o a shop floor le el . U io po er ca also be achie ed hro gh
s re g he i g i be ee he ario s io s" .
"A he mome he aim of he io mo eme is o orga ise orkers so ha he ca figh more effec i el agai s he repressi e co di io s, fo d mai l i he eco omic field, b hich o erflo i o he poli ical field . I do ' hi k he si a io ill immedia el cha ge he Resol io 435 is impleme ed . [For as lo g as] e are faced i h a capi alis si a io , o r role ill s a basicall he same" .
"I a i depe de Namibia i h a S apo go er me , e hope o ha e good rela io s i h ha go er me here e ca make represe a io s k o i g ha e are maki g hem o a
s mpa he ic ear . The s r ggle is agai s he m l i- a io als, a d der a S apo go er me e hope ha his is a s r ggle e co ld i . I do ' belie e ha a o her go er me besides a S apo o e o ld be s mpa he ic o o r dema ds'' .
"Ne dema ds ill come af er i depe de ce a d ill be direc ed agai s he e ploi a io of orkers b he ra s a io als . We ill co i e p shi g for orkers o ha e a direc sa , b direc represe a io , i he la -maki g bodies of he co r" .
COMPILED BY THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR RESEARCH AND INFORMATION GROUP ISSUED BY CAPE DEMOCRATS P 0 BOX 21 SALT RIVER 7925
Namibia
orkers eed
YOUR solidari
I ook o er 25 ears of mass resis a ce b he Namibia people - s ppor ed b he armed s r ggle of PLAN a d orld- ide opposi io o So h Africa's occ - pa io of Namibia - o force he Bo ha go er me o agree o Namibia i de- pe de ce i erms of U i ed Na io s Resol io 435 . This as a s ep for ard . B he s r ggle of he Namibia people is far from o er. Bo ha a d he bosses
a he ki d of "i depe de ce" for Namibia he ga e o ba s a s like Cis- kei a d Ve da. The oppressed people of Namibia a real i depe de ce from So h Africa oppressio a d e ploi a io . The a o ake po er i o heir o ha ds o b ild a Namibia ha ill p he i eres s of he oppressed people firs . To do his he eed he ac i e s ppor of he orkers a d o h of So h Africa . The bosses a d go er me e are figh i g e er da is he bosses a d go er me he Namibia s are figh i g o ge heir freedom from .
Workers a d o h of So h Africa a d Namibia - UNITE!
Who is r i g he i depe de ce pro- cess ? No he U i ed Na io s.
Ma people belie e he UN is o r i g he i de- pe de ce process i Namibia. This is o r e. The SA appoi ed Admi is ra or Ge eral Lo is Pie aar is f l- l i charge . The UN is here o mo i or he a he a d he So h Wes Africa Police (SWAPOL) ha dle
he process o f ll i depe de ce .
The UN has se i s special represe a i e Mr Mar i Ah isaari o Wi dhoek. His job is o mo i or he ac-
io s of Pie aar a d his admi is ra io . He ill o be orga isisi g he elec io s .
Lo is Pie aar ill orga ise regis ra io for elec io s . Pie aar a d his admi is ra io , as ell he police he co rols, ca o be sepera ed from SA . The Chief I spec-
or - So h Africa sec ri policeme Da id Br e - a d SWAPOL are made p of ma So h Africa s . I is Pie aar's job o orga ise he regis ra io of poli i- cal orga isa io s, of o ers a d he o i g i self. This is like appoi i g a olf o g ard he sheep.
Wha problems are here i he process?
Alread here are ma s ories of "chea i g" i Nami- bia . People sa ha ma SA soldiers a d UNITA forc- es are goi g o be regis ered as o ers .
Pie aar a s he o i g age fi ed a 21- i s ead of 18 . This o ld mea ha ma o h, mos l SWAPO
s ppor ers, ill o be able o o e .
The appoi me of Mr Mar i Ah isaari is a bad blo for he Namibia people . Comrades i Namibia sa he has spe 20 ears alki g abo Namibia i depe - de ce, b i ook o l 2 da s before he a horised ha
he SADF's mos feared ba allio s -101 a d 202 - co ld be released from barracks o h do SWAPO com- rades .
I seems he UN is be di g o er back ards o r a d pro e he are o sidi g i h SWAPO . The are oo
orried ha i SA he UN is see as a e em hich has dema ded ha SA e d heir illegal occ pa io of Namibia .
The NUNW a d NANSO held a big pro es i he s ree s of Wi dhoek las eek o q es io he role of
he UN . The carried placards dema di g : "Ah isaari, are o a p ppe ?" a d "UN, hose side are o o ?"
The a o k o if he UN is prepared o defe d he righ o orga ise de a icall . The a o k o if
he UN is prepared o ac agai s i imida io . The a o k o if he UN is goi g o s op he police from breaki g p marches ? B all he see is he UN offi- cials i i g a d di i g i h repreprese a i es of he So h Wes mi ori a d he So h Africa go er - me . All he hear from he UN is ha "We are o i ol ed i his or ha iss e" .
Wha respo se from he Namibia people?
I as like Uh r had alread come o Namibia o April 1 . More ha 15 000 Namibia s ere o he s ree read o march o Ah isaari a d Pie aar . The people
ere dema di g ha pri a isa io be s opped . The do ble high a from Ka ra o Wi dhoek as blocked. Masses of people had ga hered o march o he ce re of Wi dhoek. The ore SWAPO colo rs a d sho ed sloga s s ch as : "Vi a SWAPO!" "Vi a NUNW" a d "O e Namibia O e Na io " . I fro of
he cro d he NUNW officials arg ed i h he police.
The old hem i as a peacef l legal march . B he police hrea e ed o shoo if people did o go back . I fro of he march mili a o h a d orkers sho ed"
"Where is UNTAG he he police are hrea e i g o shoo s ."
NUNW officials se a delega io o UNTAG o ask hem o come a d mo i or he pro es . The leader of UNTAG armed forces, Ge eral Prem Cha d, said :
"Wha ca e do? I 's like o r firs da a school ."
The marchers agreed o go back o Ka ra . There ho sa ds a d ho sa ds of people marched hro gh he s ree s. Car, a a d r ck dri ers hoo ed a d sho ed heir cle ched fis s. "O e Namibia O e Na-
io , S op Pri a isa io " people sho ed . More people came o of heir ho ses . The also sho ed sloga s s p- por i g SWAPO . People ere celebra i g ha heir s r ggle had e e all bro gh 435 .
La er i he mor i g he rall s ar ed . There ere abo 16 000 people . U io leaders, NANSO a d SWA- PO leaders spoke abo he people's s r ggle for i de- pe de ce . The a acked pri a isa io a d called o
he masses o "pro ec he proper of he people ."
The ar ed ha SA as p i g ma obs acles o he road o i depe da ce. The called o people o
i e behi d SWAPO .
I o her par s of Namibia here as m ch more repres- sio . There ere armed a acks o he people of R d , O a kok e, Qhal s a d o her places. I ma areas
crops a d homes eads ere des ro ed, a d people ere killed a d assa l ed .
Poli ical orga isa io s i Namibia
There are a leas 45 poli ical par ies i Namibia . SWAPO is he oldes par a d has he s ppor of he majori ofpeople . The o her par ies, hich ha e mi-
ori s ppor , are SWANU, DTA a d UDF . DTA has he s ppor of some ribal chiefs. I he da s of SA occ - pa io DTA follo ed he li e of par icipa io . UDF is a coali io of e h ic par ies. SWANU is a breaka a from SWAPO . I as reall SWAPO hich fo gh for i depe de ce.
Toda all he par ies are sa i g he ere he o es ho bro gh 435 .
B hese par ies are o i h he people . The are o maki g pro es s abo he i imidaio of SWAPO ac-
i is s . The are o i he s r ggle agai s pri i isa- io . Nor are hese par ies figh i g agai s SA ac ics o regis er So h Africa s a d U i a soldiers o o e . These par ies are o s ppor i g NUNW a d he io s i heir dema d for UNTAG o a ch e er s ep of SWAPOL a d he S . Africa s .
Ma of hese par ies are spe di g all heir ime a - acki g SWAPO . The are more orried abo cam- paig i g for free e erprise. The are more orried abo sho i g for a "m l i-par " s a e ha abo people bei g assa l ed .
SWAPO li es i he masses
SWAPO s ppor is e er here . I he Nor h,
here er o go, o see SWAPO's bl e gree a d red colo rs fl i g. Al ho gh he police are prese i ma of he illages, he people sho heir s ppor for SWAPO .
The Nor h has al a s bee a s ro ghold of SWAPO . B hro gho hese ears SWAPO co ld o orga ise ope l . No he NUNW, SWAPO a d NANSO are
orki g o b ild joi s r c res hro gho Namibia.
B repressio is er hea . . Ma soldiers are ha d- i g o a i-SWAPO pamphle s. I o e area, orkers
ere sho films of he s ar a io a d h ger i Eri- rea, E hiopia . The soldiers old he orkers : "See
ha Namibia ill be like der SWAPO." There are also repor s ha soldiers of he SWA arm 's 101 ba a- lio are dressi g i DTA colo rs . Some of hem are ha di g o DTA badges a d -shir s .
B he people of he Nor h are s ro g . The are he
backbo e of SWAPO. The lo g br al ar co ld o break heir de ermi a io .
Wha is happe i g o o he border?
SWAPO g errillas ha e al a s bee i he Nor h . Si ce he agreeme o impleme Resol io 435 ma SWAPO g errillas ha e crossed he border o be par of
he people here . The had o i e io of comi g o figh . The SWAPOL m s ha e see his . Whe April 1s came SWAPOL s r ck agai s hese comrades a d forced hem i o ba le . O her SWAPO comrades ap- pear o ha e crossed he border a i g o ha d hem- sel es o er o UNTAG . I s ead he fo d o UNTAG - j s SWAPOL a d 101 Ba allio . O er 120 SWAPO comrades ha e bee killed si ce April 1s .
A he same ime igila e forces ha e bee a acki g SWAPO a d NUNW ac i is s i side he co r . The ge eral Secre ar of he Mi e orkers U io of Nami- bia - Be Ule ga - arro l escaped bei g killed he he as chased b a mob of DTA s ppor ers ho had j s s o ed he car he as i .
NUNW i es Namibia orkers
"NUNW represe s he orga ised orkers of Namibia . As s ch e are par a d parcel of he libea io mo e- me led b SWAPO," sa s a NUNW orga iser . Workers i Namibia s ffer orse repressio ha ork- ers i So h Africa . Workers are more e ploi ed i Na- mibia . Wages are lo a d orki g co di io s are bad . A erage ages are aro d R150 a mo h . Workers i Namibia also do ' ha e he same rade io righ s
ha e ha e o .
A he mome NUNW, oge her i h SWAPO a d NANSO, is spearheadi g a campaig o s op pri i isa-
io . The So h Africa a hori ies are r i g o sell off all he p blic asse s i Namia before i depe de ce . Alread he hole rail a s s em has bee sold for R150 millio - hich is o hi g ! Hospi als are appar- e l bei g sold o America a d I alia compa ies a d e e some schools ha e bee sold o he capi alis s . NUNW sa s ha if orkers are o ge a li i g age;
if jobs are o be crea ed o e d emplo me ; if ho ses are o be b il for he homeless - ha he eal h of Namibia m s be i he ha ds of he people of Nami- bia a d o a ha df l of capi alis s .
There ha e bee se eral mass rallies - i h ho sa ds of orkers a e di g - o pro es s agai s pri i isa io .
B ild solidari i h he s raggle i
Namibia
Ne mo h he Na io al U io of Namibia Workers (NUNW) ill be officiall la ched as he major rade io federa io i Namibia .
The NUNW has fi e affilia es i he mi i g, food, me al, ra spor a d p blic sec or . I is likel ha a rece l formed a io al io for eachers ill affilia e o NUNW . There are abo 50,000 orkers orga ised i o NUNW affilia es . The o al pop la-
io of Namibia is j s o er a millio - less ha half he pop la io of So e o . A COSATU's Seco d Na io al Co gress i 1987, e resol ed oo
f ll s ppor he campaig o impleme UN resol io 435 - as a s ep o ards he es ablishme of r e amibia i depe de ce
f ll s ppor he NUNW a d i s affilia es o gai f ll recog i io i he fac ories, shops a d mi es here he are orga ised as far as possible
promo e all forms of ma erial s ppor , ed ca io al rai i g a d reso rces o co - solida e NUNW a d i s affilia es
o e co rage o r affilia es o b ild co cre e li ks a d offer co cre e s ppor o he affilia es of NUNW i each i d s rial sec or
o declare o r prepared ess o ake solidari ac io if he NUNW or a of i s af- filia es come der a ack from ei her he emplo ers, he i erim p ppe admi is ra-
io or i s So h Africa mas ers .
These are fi e ords . I is more impor a ha e er ha e er io i COSATU s r ggles o make hem a reali . Lo g Li e he Namibia People .
f
S apo's proposed co s i io
Obser ers a icipa e ha S apo ill i he elec io i No ember, ho e er, he elec io o l e s res represe a io o he Co s i e Assembl hich is o draf a co s i io for he co fr before
i depe de ce, To ha e i s o co s i io adop ed S apo eeds o ge o- hirds of he Co sss i e Assembl o agree o i s adop io . Belo e reprod ce e rac s from he more sig ifica cla ses of he
co s i io proposed b S apo .
The e Co s i io makes o refere ce o socialism,ma of i s aricles co ld be fo d i he co s i io s of es er s a es. The co si io appears o fall i hi he pri ciples of he s ppleme o UN Sec ri Co cil Resol io 435 .
The S a e
The Rep blic of Namibia is a i depe de , so ereig , i ar , democra ic a d sec lar s a e, fo ded o he pri ciples of democrac , he r le of la a d social j sice.
Wi dhoek ill be he capi al of Namibia a d he official la g age ill be E glish .
The de ails of he flag, he aio al a hem a d he coa of arms are lef ope , b i ca be i ferred from he 1983 Co si io ha S apo ill adop he colo rs bl e, red, a d gree i a hori o al posi io as he e flag a d "Aler Namibia" s g o he melod of "Nkosi Sikelela i-Africa" as he e a io al a hem .
Wal is Ba
Wal is Ba is co sidered par of Namibia erri or , h s rejeci g So h Africa's claim ha Wal is Ba belo gs o i .
Armed Forces
Namibia reser es he righ o de o ce rea ies a d co cessio s ha he former admi is ra io e ered po ha ser ed he apar heid s s em, e ploi he a io al eal h, or co radic he i eres s of Namibia s.
Namibia shall respec a d defe d he pri ciples of he Orga isa io of Af rica U i , he No -Alig ed Mo eme , he U i ed Na io s a d he ge eral pri ciples of i era io al la .
Namibia shall o , i he co e of po er blocs, joi or co cl de mili ar pac s or allia ces or allo he es ablishme of foreig mili ar bases o her erri or .
The S a e shall e s re he e ercise of h ma righ s, a d shall seek o i crease prod c i i a d impro e dis rib io so as o i crease he s a dard of li i g of he grea mass of he Namibia pop la io .
The S a e is o impro e he q ali of life a d o safeg ard a d de elop he a ral e iro me . The armed forces of Namibia shall ser e he people a d ill al a s be s bordi a e o ci ilia a hori . The Preside of Namibia, i addi io o bei g Head of S a e a d Go erm e , is also he Comma der i Chief .
Ci i e ship
Cii e ship b bir h ill be gra ed o perso s bor i hi Namibia (e cep he child of a diploma or career represe a i e of a o her co r ) . Ci i e ship ill also be gra ed o perso s bor o side Namibia
erri or b hose fa her or mo her held Namibia cii e ship a he ime he perso as bor . Ci i e ship b a rali a io is possible der cer ai circ ms a ces .
A perso loses he righ o ci i e ship if ci i e ship of a o her co r is acq ired or a oa h of allegia ce o a o her co r is ake , or ha perso " o ed i a o her co r " or "es ablished a domicile i a o her co r "
Righ s of he People
The co si io g ara ees he righ o ork,social be efi s, heal h care, ed ca io , ho si g,c l ral righ s, elec oral righ s, perso al freedom, h ma dig i , freedom of associa io , life, proper , rade io s a d demo s ra io s. I ass res freedom from forced labo r a d discrimi a io , oge her i h freedom of ra el,