‘Govt thought it was impossible’ Teachers’ strike starts peacefully The first legal teachers’ strike in Namibian history started without incident in the North yesterday. KENYA KAMBOWE & ILENI NANDJATOTeachers in the Oshana Region who took part in yesterday’s nationwide strike said the government thought it was impossible for teachers to strike until it eventually happened.
“Government thought because of the peace enjoyed in Namibia it will be impossible for teachers to strike but today we proved otherwise. There is a saying that everything that is successful today was regarded as impossible before,” one of the teachers shouted.
This is the first legal teachers’ strike in Namibia.
Namibian Sun yesterday visited a number of schools as well as the Adorfy area a few kilometres out of Ongwediva where teachers gathered under a tree and were informed of the strike rules by Namibia National Teachers Union (Nantu) representatives.
“As you can see this is a peaceful demonstration. We are just gathered here to talk about the code of conduct,” said Nantu’s regional chairperson, Isaih Nanhapo.
Although the strike was regarded as peaceful, police intervention was needed in Oshakati as the road between Oshakati Secondary School and Iipumbu Senior Secondary School was barricaded with bricks and stones.
When Namibian Sun arrived at the scene a police officer said the learners blocked the road and ran away when police arrived.
At Opuwo, the start of the strike was postponed to today, to which the teachers responded with anger.
The police had to intervene when the teachers decided to march from Otuzemba to the Opuwo sport stadium, where an event organised by the prime minister’s office was taking place. Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking at a commemoration of the International Day of Disaster Reduction.
“Colleagues, we are very sorry to inform you that we are not going to demonstrate today because we have the deputy prime minister in town and we are not allowed to strike when our national leaders are in our towns,” Nantu’s regional chairperson in Kunene, Ignatius Kamati, and Opuwo branch chairperson Urikee Tjazapi told the teachers.
This angered the group. “Why are teachers in Windhoek striking if they have all the national leaders including the president there?” shouted one teacher.
Another teacher shouted that their colleagues at Outjo demonstrated without police supervision and they could do the same if the Opuwo police would not help them.
The Kunene police’s head of operations, Deputy Commissioner Jaron Iita, was called to the scene to talk to the irate teachers. Iita told them that the idea was not to stop their demonstration, but the issue was the venue.
“The stadium was already booked for another event and we cannot take you there. Just wait until tomorrow and you can demonstrate,” Iita said.
No violence was reported and teachers agreed to gather at a place outside Opuwo.
Mureti Senior Secondary School principal Tjipueja Gert Wayne Uaavi told Namibian Sun that he had to be at school to make sure that examination material and school property were secured.
“Two other teaching staff decided to join me. We have hostel learners at school and part-time candidates were also supposed to write examinations and I have to be here to monitor them,” Uaanivi said.
Learners at Mureti started shouting at the hostel superintendent when he explained to them that they would not be writing their scheduled examination yesterday.