Namibia’s Agricultural Union President – Piet Gouws: Is Devoted to Retaining the Human Status of Farmworkers to Guarantee an Honorable Retirement

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Freetown, Sierra Leone- NAU’s President answering to the Namibian Agricultural Employers’ Association’s (AEA) biennial wage survey for the 2021/22 financial year, indicated that the average basic salary of a farmworker amounted to R2 574/month. This represented an 8,79% boost correlated with the previous financial year.

The AEA told in an announcement that, the normal monthly cash salary was R1 880, while the cost of monthly rations given to farmworkers amounted to about R694. Additional extras comprised free housing, free transport for children to and from schools, free transport for workers and their subordinates to clinics and hospitals, as well as authorization to maintain livestock and other animals, such as donkeys and horses, on farmers’ land without having to expend payment. About 67% of farmworker households had electricity in their homes, which encompassed a solar power supply.

In upswing, 94% of the survey parties substantiated that, they paid an annual dividend to their workers, with 79% similarly suggesting that, their workers earned regular salary improvements.

Gouws furthered that, agrarian employees established a critical role, directly and indirectly, in the agrarian value chain of Namibia. According to him, 70% of the Namibian population was hired by the broader agriculture sector.

“We were well on our way to start implementing a number of initiatives before the COVID-19 [pandemic] struck the country. At the minute, we are reconsidering enterprises such as negotiating with local municipalities in terms of land for retirement homes for farmworkers.

“It is the intention of the agricultural employers of Namibia to change the sometimes-negative perceptions about farm labor, and to position the industry in such a way that jobs on farms become jobs of choice,” he let out.

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent