The government and other role-players are working towards restarting the Skorpion Zinc mine and refinery operations.
Minister of industries, mines and energy Modestus Amutse said this in a speech delivered on his behalf by member of parliament Justina Jonas at the Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia’s (MUN) regional roundtable at Oranjemund on Saturday.
The initiative was powered by the Namibia Miners Investment Trust (Namit) and Nam-Mic Holdings.
“Our focus must remain on protecting jobs, restoring competitiveness and keeping our communities alive.
Unemployment in the ||Kharas region remains at about 38%. This means when a mine struggles, entire communities feel the consequences.
“When a mine sneezes, the whole town catches a cold. However, there is reason for optimism. Despite these challenges, important opportunities are emerging in uranium, copper, gold and critical minerals,” the minister said, adding that at this juncture, closure is not an option.
Skorpion Zinc is near Rosh Pinah in the ||Kharas region, producing special high-grade zinc which is so low in impurities that it commands a price premium.
The mine is owned by Vedanta Resources, which initially suspended operations for four months in 2019 due to technical problems before placing the mine on care and maintenance due to pit failures in 2020.
The minister highlighted the future of the mining industry, workers’ interests, local participation and the broader development of Namibia’s mineral resources, and touched on the mining operations sustaining the Hardap and ||Kharas regions.
He stressed the continuing impact of Skorpion Zinc’s closure and the government’s new national minerals beneficiation policy, as well as the weight mining carries for the region.
“Here at Oranjemund, Namdeb’s diamond operation continues to provide employment for more than 700 people and remains the economic anchor of this town. Without diamond mining, Oranjemund might have already turned into another ghost town.
“At the same time, we cannot ignore the difficult realities faced by many families as the closure of Scorpion Zinc resulted in the loss of around 500 jobs, and many households at Rosh Pinah continue to feel that impact today,” the minister said.
He, however, expressed optimism despite these challenges, saying important opportunities are emerging in uranium, copper, gold and critical minerals.
Acting MUN president Poco-Key Mberiuana highlighted the need for members’ well-being after retirement.
“We need to have medical aid and a pension fund, and we are busy engaging on funeral cover for former members and their grandchildren,” he said.
– matthew@namibian.com.na
