THE Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), along with other protesters, yesterday demanded the closure and deregistration of businesses owned by Chinese nationals in the country by the end of the month.
They said Chinese business people should only be allowed to operate as wholesalers.
This comes a day after the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade denounced an increasing trend of aggression towards some sections of the business community, especially foreign-owned entities, and urged for the immediate rejection of such behaviour by all Namibians.
"Such intra-hostilities will ultimately erode overall business competitiveness, which will disable our country's ability to trade effectively and efficiently within and across the borders," the ministry said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
More than 50 protesters marched from China Town to the ministries of trade, and home affairs, as well as the Namibia Revenue Agency (Namra), to make demands.
This was sparked by the burning of N$5 million worth of counterfeit goods by Namra, shipped into the country.
Subsequently, Affirmative Repositioning (AR) activist Dimbulukeni Nauyoma, along with NEFF leaders Epafras Mukwiilongo and Michael Amushelelo, as well as five others took to the streets to protest, and were arrested.
NEFF deputy leader Kalimbo Iipumbu, while reading the petition letters to trade minister Lucia Iipumbu, demanded that all Chinese retailers be closed.
"We demand for (sic) the closure of all Chinese retailers, which should only be allowed to trade as wholesalers. Retailing business must be preserved for our local and domestic markets," Iipumbu said.
Iipumbu also called for the deregistration of foreign businesses that do not pay tax or do not use local banks and do not comply with Namibian tax laws.
"They must pack [and] leave," he said.
The NEFF also demanded strict regulations around the registration and operations of companies owned by foreign nationals.
"Stop the importation of all products into the country and rather facilitate domestic manufacturing and production," he added.
The NEFF want all their demands to be met by 31 May.
NAMRA DEMANDS
The protesters also called for the closure of Namra, as well as the resignation of the agency's commissioner Sam Shivute.
"He must counsel the depressed people. The health ministry can employ him. We are also calling for Sam to declare his assets.
It is alleged that he owns two shops in China Town. Hence his reluctance to act on Chinese businesses," Iipumbu said while reading the petition.
Iipumbu also asserted that the revenue agency should refund the 'order with me' generation.
"Namra is directed to stop discriminating against our black local entrepreneurs," he said.
The NEFF and AR want Namra to institute an operation against the counterfeit products at the China Town shopping complex.
"We call on Namra to conduct a tax audit of the Chinese-owned businesses, particularly China Town and elsewhere in the country," the petition reads.
CHINA TOWN DEMANDS
Iipumbu said the party demanded an immediate stop to Chinese business owners sleeping at the shopping complex, and called for the removal of their bedding yesterday.
"They must find accommodation elsewhere, like in the informal settlements or backyard flats of black people," Iipumbu said.
He also noted that there has been exploitation of Namibian workers at China Town complexes owned and administered by the Chinese.
"Our poor black people are being exploited like animals; with low wages such as N$400, with no benefits and worker privileges," he added.
He called on Chinese employers to have labour employment contracts for all workers employed by them.
Iipumbu also alleged to have received information that the Chinese business people trading in the shopping complex have billions in Namibian currency stored in boxes in various storerooms in their workshops.
"We know the specific shops and the storerooms where money is being hidden, ready for shipping to China," Iipumbu said.
He demanded the removal of the money, with the assistance of the police.
"The Chinese business people here don't utilise banking services in Namibia, which is a deliberate move to avoid paying tax and cheating our state from benefiting from their business transactions. We demand the auditing of their books and compliance with our relevant tax laws," he said.
Iipumbu also claimed that Chinese shop owners sexually harass female employees.
"The Chinese bosses are busy sleeping with our girlfriends on their mattresses, that they later sell to us as second-hand. We demand this to stop," he said.
STAY OUT!
Meanwhile, the Namibian Employers' Federation (NEF) and the Namibian Employers Association (NEA) have called for the political parties to cease their interference in labour matters.
In a press statement issued yesterday, the federation and association argued that the Namibian Labour Act states that the representation of workers with regard to labour matters are trade unions and employers' organisations.
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"This falls outside of the political arena and political parties simply do not have the mandate to act on behalf of workers in terms of labour matters," they stated.
NEF and NEA want all employers to refer political parties to the Office of the Labour Commissioner or the Labour Act, saying that registered unions should deal with industrial relations issues.
"Although some employees have complained to political parties about their problems at the workplace and about the poor quality of service provided by certain unions, employers should not engage with political parties on labour-related matters."
They cited a labour case between a South African trading company and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), where the political party was interdicted and restrained from unlawfully interfering with the business operations of the company. The EFF was required to pay the costs of the urgent application.
"This judgement should be viewed as a warning to any political party who attempts to unlawfully interfere with internal workplace disputes, and employees should be advised that political parties are not entitled to assume the functions of a union," the statement further reads.
