RUNDU – Rundu residents said they will not rest until Mike du Preez of TotalEnergies Kavango Petroport receives their petition and apologises for the lashes-for-loans saga that went viral, but the service station owner pleaded for forgiveness in a lawyer’s letter.
When activist Michael Amushelelo and a group of residents marched peacefully to his business place today, Du Preez was not available, and they only met his workers there. The latter said their boss was in Windhoek for business, and that he will be back today.
“What’s going to happen tomorrow (today) if Mike doesn’t show up is that we are going to start camping here in front of his business until he decides eventually to come and meet the community and those affected by his actions. So, all that we are looking for is for him to show remorse, to show that he’s genuinely sorry about his actions,” Amushelelo stated here.
“We know very well the gimmicks he is playing; that it’s all a game. We no longer want to play funny games with him; we simply want him to come, and he must man up for his actions, ask for an apology from his victims, and it must be a genuine apology. Then we can say let bygones be bygones, and then we can move on in the spirit of One Namibia One Nation,’’ he added.
While the masses gathered at Du Preez’s business, his lawyers Metcalfe Beukes Attorneys wrote to minister of labour Utoni Nujoma, saying Du Preez “condemns his own behaviour in participating and allowing such ‘whipping game’ to commence and proceed in the workplace as simply wrong and intolerable”.
“An unreserved apology is tendered to all employees, the Namibian nation, and yourself.”
The lawyers said the matter will now be placed in the hands of a reputable labour consultant, who will investigate in an impartial manner.
“To allow an unimpeded investigation, Mr Du Preez has placed himself on suspension for 14 days in order to allow the labour consultant free access to provide an appropriate recommendation,” stated the letter.
All other employees who participated in the “whipping game” will also be suspended with pay.
Amushelelo indicated that if the service station owner comes up with other abusive stunts, it will mean he has no respect for the constitution, which says “The dignity of every human being shall be upheld, and no human being shall be subjected to cruelty or humiliation”.
“That simply means this is an individual who does not adhere to our constitution, and must be dealt with accordingly,’’ he charged.
“Now, in terms of us as a radical movement, what we are going to spearhead is what is called a boycott, which simply means us educating the masses to say that they must stop giving their money to the person who is oppressing our people. Remember, once we stop to give him money, eventually municipal rates and taxes will catch up with him. If he has taken out loans at the bank, they will catch up with him and he will default,’’ he said.
Amushelelo observed that the key issue at hand is the issue of workers being exploited and being oppressed. He reasoned that if another man needs to be beaten on his behind in order to provide bread and butter for his children, it is because the employer is not giving him enough, and that is why he needs to take out loans. “So, those are some of the issues that need to be addressed when we come here tomorrow (today),’’ he said.
“I have not been voted in by anyone, I do not represent any union, I have no mandate to be here. But as a Namibian who understands the pain that others are feeling, I feel that it is not okay for the people entrusted to defend the rights of the people no longer doing it. So, somebody has to do it,’’ he added.
“The problem in this country is that we all like to complain, but nothing happens. On social media, we are all there commenting that something must be done, someone please, but who is that someone? So, I have become that someone,” Amushelelo added.