Information and Communication
Technology, Minister Joël Kaapanda, said it would be unacceptable for employers
to deny workers permission to vote in Presidential and National Assembly
elections scheduled for next week Friday.
The minister's
statement follows reports that some companies were refusing to recognise
Election Day, November 28, as a public holiday despite it being Gazetted as
such.
Emphasising that
voting is a civic right of all Namibians, Kaapanda said: "No, that [denying
workers to vote] is unacceptable. There must be arrangements made, such as
workers' shifts so that everyone is afforded a chance to vote."
Some workers at
a South African construction firm, Murray & Roberts, who are currently
working at the Tsumeb Custom Smelter, expressed fear that they might not be
able to vote as they will be working on November 28.
This is
apparently because the company has plans of closing earlier for the December
holidays.
An employee at
the company who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimisation said the company
had given workers a choice to be off on November 28 or to work and receive
double pay for that day.
Murray &
Roberts' human resources officer Raphael Muyambango denied claims that the
company will stop anyone from voting. He said the company will follow
instructions contained in a government circular regarding voting next week
Friday.
Kaapanda
reminded voters that they do not have to travel to their areas of origin in
order to vote, a perception doing the rounds in some communities.
"People
don't need to go back to their regions to be able to vote, they can vote from
anywhere in the country," the minister said.
The
newly-amended electoral law has designated voting day as a public holiday.
New Era
No comments:
Post a Comment