Christof Maletsky, The Namibian (Windhoek), December 15, 2006 Windhoek - The Secretary General of the Namibia Nurses Union (Nanu), Abner Shopati, says he is receiving death threats. Shopati told The Namibian yesterday that he had received several calls on his cellphone from people saying his "days are numbered" unless he stopped his actions against the Ministry of Health. As the leader of Nanu, Shopati recently organised a demonstration of nurses who are unhappy with their payment for work done on Sundays and public holidays. "They (callers) are claiming that I am anti-Government and that I have a politician behind me. They say I want the Government to be seen in a bad manner and that my days are numbered," Shopati said. ... Nurses

Kuvee Kangueehi, New Era (Windhoek), December 15, 2006 The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, has challenged the Namibia Nurses Union (Nanu) to take their grievances to the Namibian High Court. Shangula said the Nanu dispute with the government is one of rights, and the best way to resolve this matter is through the courts. The Permanent Secretary made the remarks at a meeting he called Wednesday to respond to a petition which was handed to the Ministry last week. As usual, the majority of the nurses again decided to boycott the meeting and only less than 20 nurses were in attendance. ... Govt

Kuvee Kangueehi & William Mbangula, New Era (Windhoek), December 7, 2006 Windhoek/Oshakati - Close to 300 nurses who held a peaceful demonstration in Windhoek yesterday have given the Ministry of Health and Social Service an ultimatum of 30 working days to address their demands or face a national nurses' strike. The nurses are demanding that the ministry sets up a date with the nurses' leadership, namely the Namibian Nurses Union (Nanu) to discuss a number of issues. ... Nurses

Kuvee Kangueehi, New Era (Windhoek), December 6, 2006 Windhoek - The Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, has warned nurses intending to take part in a planned demonstration today at midday that they could be charged with a criminal offence. Addressing a press conference late yesterday afternoon, Kamwi said the interests of the patients are paramount and that no patient should be adversely affected as a result of the planned demonstration. ... Nurses

Christof Maletsky, The Namibian (Windhoek), December 5, 2006 Windhoek - A war of words has erupted between the Namibia Public Workers' Union (Napwu) and the Namibia Nurses' Union (Nanu) as nurses prepare to stage a peaceful demonstration tomorrow over disputed non-payment of overtime for work done on Sundays and public holidays. While Nanu described Napwu as sell-outs who failed the nurses, the rival union called Nanu "confused" and appealed to Government to withdraw their registration. ... War

Kuvee Kangueehi, New Era (Windhoek), November 30, 2006 Windhoek - Tension between nurses and hospital management in the Khomas Region is rising after nurses yesterday decided to boycott a meeting organized by the Permanent Secretary of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, at the Windhoek Central Hospital. Shangula and his management waited almost an hour and then decided to leave after less than five nurses showed up for the meeting. The meeting was expected to discuss the interpretation of the Public Service Staff Rules with regard to overtime, Sunday and night work remuneration, which has been a bone of contention between the nurses and the hospital management. ... Angry

Christof Maletsky, Namibian, November 30, 2006 Nurses yesterday shunned a meeting called by their Permanent Secretary, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, and vowed to go ahead with their demonstration next week. Shangula called the meeting with the Ministry's employees to clarify some issues around the disputed non-payment of overtime for work done on Sundays and public holidays. However, fewer than 10 nurses pitched for the lunch-hour meeting and even they started leaving when their colleagues failed to arrive. ... Health

Christof Maletsky, The Namibian (Windhoek), November 28, 2006 Windhoek - Nurses reacted with anger yesterday after a meeting scheduled with Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula was postponed at the eleventh hour. The nurses were gathering outside the Windhoek Central Hospital chapel at lunchtime when they were informed that Shangula had other pressing issues to attend to and was unable to attend the meeting. The message was given to them by officials of the Namibia Nurses' Union (Nanu), to whom Shangula's office had sent a fax. ... Nurses

Peter Clottey, Voice of America, November 23, 2006 Nurses in Namibia have given the government until Friday to pay their overtime allowances for working on Sundays and public holidays or face a mass protest that they said will paralyze health institutions in the country. The Ministry of Health in April this year reduced by half the nurses’ payment for working on Sundays and public. The nurses said their action was necessary after fruitless efforts to get the government to negotiate with them. Abner Shopati, the general secretary of the Namibian Nurses Union (NANU) said they are also planning to sue the government if it fails to meet their demands. ... Namibian

Christof Maletsky, The Namibian, November 14, 2006 The Namibia Nurses' Union (Nanu) has started organising a national demonstration, scheduled for December 6. Nanu Secretary General Abner Shopati said yesterday that the union has given Government, more particularly the Ministry of Health, two weeks until November 24 to respond to their demands or face a national demonstration. Shopati said the Ministry has refused to engage Nanu in negotiations over payment for work done on Sundays and public holidays. Nanu held national consultations between August and September to get support to sue the Ministry of Health on behalf of the nurses. ... Countdown

Christof Maletsky, The Namibian, November 1, 2006 Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja has requested the leadership of the Namibia Nurses' Union (Nanu) to make a written request for a conciliation board before they opt for taking Government to court. Shinguadja told Nanu that his office was willing to appoint a conciliation board to hear nurses' concerns and the response from the Ministry of Health over a payment dispute for work done on Sundays and public holidays. Nanu Secretary General Abner Shopati said yesterday they would follow the normal procedures in applying for a conciliation board before deciding what steps to take next. If the dispute is not settled at conciliation board level, Nanu members will decide whether they go to the High Court or opt for a national strike. ... Nurses

Christof Maletsky, Free Press Of Namibia, August 10, 2006 The Namibia Nurses' Union (Nanu) has started consulting its members with the hope of getting an overwhelming majority support to take Government to court over the decision to cut their payment in half for work done on Sundays and public holidays. Nanu Secretary General Abner Shopati started a nationwide tour yesterday to get input from members on the union's decision to legally challenge the Ministry of Health's decision to reduce nurses' Sunday and public holiday payments by half. ... Nurses

Christof Maletsky, The Namibian (Windhoek), March 16, 2006

Windhoek - Health Minister Richard Kamwi has described the refusal by newly qualified nurses to work in rural areas as shameful.

To counter that, Namibia has decided to bring in 103 registered nurses from Kenya who will work on two-year contracts under a memorandum of understanding with their government.

Kamwi said Namibia had a shortage of 1 500 nurses by last week - 525 registered nurses and 975 enrolled nurses.

"Our nurses are simply overworked," he said in an interview. ... Nurses

Surihe Gaomas, New Era (Windhoek), March 13, 2006

Windhoek - The Minister of Health and Social Services Richard Kamwi yesterday publicly acknowledged that Namibian nurses are overworked due to a critical shortage of nurses in the ministry.

Currently, there is a deficit of 525 registered nurses and an additional 975 vacant posts for enrolled nurses still to be filled. As a result, local nurses in the public sector are continuously overworked, causing some of them to resign and seek greener pastures with private health institutions in the country. ... Nurses

Christof Maletsky, The Namibian (Windhoek), February 1, 2006

Windhoek - Members of the Namibia Nurses Union (Nanu) are fuming after their leaders failed to organise a congress for the whole of last year.

Health workers affiliated to the union claim the union has been dormant for more than 14 months although they continued to pay membership fees of N$20 a month.

The union has more than 2 000 members, meaning that the union collects around N$40 000 a month.

The health workers claim that nothing is being done to elect a new National Committee for Nanu, although the four-year term of the current National Committee expired in November 2004. ... Nurses