Three prominent Namibian trade unionists, released from detention in the course of the last few months, have been restricted in their activities by the SA authorities. Two more trade unionists, both senior SWAPO officials, are still detained following their arrest at the end of last year.
The SWA Administrator General announced in January 1980 that AG26 detainees might in future be released under certain conditions, including being restricted to specified areas and prohibited from attending meetings or receiving visitors. It seems that bans of this kind, not widely used in Namibia in the past, are becoming more common.
The five trade unionists are:
- Arthur PICKERING, a SWAPO member and a senior official of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW). He was arrested on 14 January 1980 and detained, either under Proclamation AG9 or AG26. Having being released from detention, he is now restricted to the Windhoek municipal area, and banned from taking employment or from being in the company of more than four persons at any time. Pickering, who was previously detained in January 1979 following a labour dispute at the Rössing uranium mine and a bomb explosion in the nearby town of Swakopmund, is the first Coloured advocate to have been admitted to the bar in Namibia. Prior to his detention he worked for the Rössing mine.
- Henry BOONZAAIER, SWAPO member and Assistant General Secretary of NUNW. Like Pickering, he previously worked for Rössing and was detained in January 1979. He was arrested again on 11 January 1980 and alleged to be in possession of banned literature. He is now restricted under the same conditions as Pickering.
- Gerson KAPUKA, chairman of NUNW. Detained for three months, he is now restricted on the same terms.
- Jason ANGULA, SWAPO Secretary for Labour inside Namibia, he is still in detention having been arrested on 14 December 1979.
- Mr KANGORE, a senior official in SWAPO's Department of Labour. He was arrested in Windhoek together with Jason Angula, a few days after an incident at the workers' compound in Okahandja. According to SWAPO, heavily armed contingents of the South African army and police, accompanied by dogs, raided the compound at night and ordered the inmates out of their sleeping quarters. One worker was killed and 14 others wounded when troops subsequently opened fire within the compound.
