Labour and Discrimination in Namibia

Book excerpt: A thoroughly documented and well organized survey of labour-repressive and racially discriminatory legislation imposed on Namibians by the South African administration, in which the author's legal expertise is evident. Appendices reproduce the texts of two of the key legal instruments of the contract labour system, the Employment Bureau Regulations of 1972 and the Control and Treatment of Natives on Mines Regulation of 1925, as well as the old and revised (1972) terms of labour "contract" ("indenture" would be a more accurate description). The booklet sets the legislation in the context of a brief analysis of the economy, racial discrimination and deprivation in education, access to employment, wages and working and living conditions, as well as repression of trade union and political organization. An updated report was presented to a ILO seminar in Lusaka in 1981 and published in Nationhood Programme for Namibia. Report on The Seminar concerning discriminatory legislation in Namibia relating to labour matters (Geneva: ILO, 1983, 96 p. IL0/78/NAM 007). This report also contains a classified list of laws relating to the ILO study on discriminatory labour legislation in Namibia. (Eriksen/Moorsom 1989).