WINDHOEK: The 15 members to represent the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) at the upcoming Swapo-Party Congress will be elected soon.

NUNW president Elia Manga told Nampa here on Tuesday that the NUNW’s affiliation to the Swapo Party is meant to advance the course of the workers, and thus 15 members from the union’s affiliates will be elected to represent the workers at the Swapo Congress slated for later this year.

Manga said a date for the structural meeting has not been set yet, adding that it will, however, be held soon before the Swapo Congress.

The NUNW president said the delay for national office bearers to sit and deliberate on the 15 members going to Congress is partly because of the unstable condition within some of the affiliates of the union, especially over the past three to four weeks.

In terms of preparedness for the Swapo Congress, the NUNW president said the process already started, because the union had delegates representing the workers at the recent Swapo-Party National Policy Conference.

Manga noted that the 15 seats the union has been accorded at the Congress will not make much impact in terms of changes and amendments that are supposed to be brought to the Congress.

The unionist said the key topics he hopes will be discussed, although they have been exhausted during the policy conference, is that of unemployment, particularly among the youth and the issue of land scarcity.

“Over and over you hear and read about youth unemployment and the unaffordability of urban land for the average Namibian.

Why can we not somehow subsidise land or put conditions in place that can help in making urban land affordable,” Manga asked.

Meanwhile, the NUNW leader indicated that the union has endorsed the nominations from the politburo on the candidates that are contesting for the top four positions of the ruling party.