Paulus Hango was re-elected as president of the Trade Union Congress of Namibia during the union’s fifth congress, held at Walvis Bay recently.
Toini Nauyoma and Mahongora Kavihuha were also re-elected as first vice president and secretary general, respectively.
The newly-elected members were Junias Shilunga as second vice president, Fiina Petrus as treasurer and McCarious Somaeb as deputy treasurer.
Each affiliate union under the umbrella union Tucna also elected two representatives to the national executive council, who will ensure efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.
Meanwhile, the congress addressed critical national issues, including the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund.
Hango, during a media briefing on Wednesday, stressed the importance of Namibia having established a sovereign wealth fund, and said there should be a proper policy in place for how these funds will be distributed to Namibians.
“Particularly taking into consideration that we have a small population, this fund was overdue, because with several discoveries of oil and gas, we would like this money to benefit citizens directly. Many Namibians are suffering, and the investors investing in the country are taking almost everything, which is not something we want to continue seeing,” he said.
The Welwitschia Sovereign Wealth Fund was established in 2022 to enhance national resilience and promote intergenerational prosperity through the redistribution of benefits from Namibia’s natural resources.
Hango also emphasised the issue of value- addition, noting that Namibia currently exports a lot of raw material, which needs to change.
“This prevents the country from developing and solving the problems of unemployment. For example, we have a lot of marble, and hundreds of trucks are constantly loading and transporting it out of the country in raw form. This is disappointing because it was supposed to be creating jobs here in Namibia, and should therefore be addressed,” he said.
The union’s SG highlighted that the congress was an opportunity for the trade union to take stock of its progress thus far.
“Congresses are one of the most important internal democratic processes every trade union must hold,” he stated.
The congress took place from 27 to 30 April.
-Nampa