Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement claims the state has been captured by the Chinese, while at the same time it has given businesses until 31 September to ensure they comply with all labour requirements.
AR spokesperson Simon Amunime yesterday at a press conference said the state’s captivity has led to the mistreatment of workers, and the movement would therefore decisively deal with businesses choosing to treat their employees like slaves.
“The Chinese people are very powerful. They have captured the police and the politicians, and the state is completely captured by Chinese nationals. And we, as the emerging generation, are not going to allow this country to become the playground of the Chinese and the rich,” he said.
Amunime’s comments came as a result of the movement’s decision to confront a Chinese-owned glass-assembling company which allegedly treats its workers unfairly and has allegedly assaulted some sexually. He said the law should be applied to all in Namibia, which is why the movement will visit workplaces countrywide to assess how workers are treated.
“We have decided to launch an operation to ensure that businesses including Chinese and Indian nationals conducting business in Namibia must not be exempted from those [labour] responsibilities,” Amunime said.
This, he said, is to ensure that Namibians are not recolonised by foreign nationals or enslaved by Namibian business owners. “These guys must understand this country is independent, not some colony of any Chinese business. As long as they respect the laws, we have no problem with them,” he said.
AR activist George Kambala said president Hage Geingob has favoured China since his tenure as the country’s prime minister. “In 2013, when president Geingob was prime minister, when he was doing tours with the minister of trade as well as president Hifikepunye Pohamba, he emphasised that the Chinese are our brothers, and we need to protect them and ensure we are not harsh on the Chinese.
“And [inspector general Sebastian] Ndeitunga, on two occasions, publicly said we need to provide Chinese nationals with maximum security. We need to protect them, and their businesses are under threat, and then he wrote a circular,” Kambala said.
Ndeitunga distributed a circular calling on regional police commanders to tighten security around Chinese nationals and their businesses. This came after the Chinese defence attaché to Namibia, colonel Gao Peng, warned of potential terrorist attacks on Chinese nationals in the country.
“Then there was a time when president Geingob went to China, and the Chinese embassy dictated to him: ‘Here, president Geingob, here is the speech we have already written,’” Kambala said.
Kambala said this proves that the state is captured. “If those little elements are not tantamount to state capture, I do not know what other definition there is. Ministers always say protect the interest of the Chinese,” he said.
National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi says anyone who seeks security in the country is provided protection – whether local or foreign.
“We do not discriminate,” she says.
