Namibia: Seagoing personnel should be allowed to vote

The fisheries and marine resources' minister has called on leaders in the fishing industry in Walvis Bay and Lüderitz to ensure that all seagoing employees get a chance to vote.

Bernard Esau voiced what he called a 'friendly and comradely' reminder during the inauguration of a horse mackerel onshore processing factory at Walvis Bay on Thursday.

The 2014 Presidential and National Assembly elections are expected to take place on 28 November this year.

Elections for seagoing personnel will be conducted on 14 November at Lüderitz and Walvis Bay.

In Walvis Bay, the polling stations will be at the Hosiana Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) parish and the Kuisebmond Community Hall, while those voting in Lüderitz will do so at the German Hostel Hall.

Esau said November, which is the month for political campaigns and voting, coincides with the new hake fishing season.

In light of this, he urged employers to ensure that their workers are not denied the right to vote.

"I want the fishing industry to ensure that seagoing employees are also given a chance to exercise their democratic right to cast their vote. We want to see to it that everyone has the opportunity to vote. This is a friendly and comradely reminder to all fishing rights holders," the minister stated.

The opening of the horse mackerel processing factory created 650 permanent and temporary jobs.

Fifty more people are expected to be employed at the factory towards the end of the year, bringing the total gaining employment to 700.

The new positions are in addition to the 300 held by employees already employed by the Gendev Group, the company which opened the processing factory.

The fish products are distributed through retail group Shoprite in Namibia and South Africa. The 1,2 kilogramme retail bags of horse mackerel are available in over 600 Shoprite stores in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Shareholders in Gendev include companies such as Camoposatu Investment and Vernier Investment. - Nampa

The Namibian