Karibib Marble Crush to relocate to SA

AFTER 52 years of operations, Karibib Marble Crush is relocating to South Africa.
According to owner Pierre Berger, the decision was made because of ‘economical, technical and environmental’ reasons.

‘Our plant, being more than half a century old, is obsolete, and we decided to use more modern equipment for which spares are readily available. We will be relocating operations to South Africa, but our workshop for mining will remain in Karibib,’ Berger told The Namibian.The company processes dolomite for the chemical industry. Dolomite is a magnesium carbonate used in medicines, paints and as a filler in various industries.He said that the crusher earned N$4,5 million in foreign export revenue last year, and played an important role in the small town’s economy. It provides work for about 30 people.The relocation comes as a relief for local residents, who have complained bitterly over the years about dust from the crusher.’The dust was a nuisance to us too, but there were no medical motivators that indicated it to be a health risk,’ said Berger.The town’s acting CEO, Martin Limbo, told The Namibian that the marble crusher was a ‘dust menace’ to Karibib. According to him, the municipality tried on several occasions to have the crusher closed down completely, or at least relocated to another area.’These attempts always proved futile until recently,’ Limbo said.According to him, the plant was situated near the centre of the town’s business zone and open market. The open market could not be used because the dust from the crusher made it difficult for vendors, especially those selling perishable items, to attract buyers, he said.He said that through a series of negotiations involving the Ministries of Health and Social Services, Labour, the management of Karibib Town Council and representatives from the Mineworkers’ Union of Namibia, the parties agreed that the crusher ‘should close down operations and that their staff members receive compensation packages and be laid off’.According to Limbo, the crusher’s last working day is today, although Berger said that the plant had already closed on September 1.’Whatever the municipality wants to claim, let it be. We are not being closed down by them. We have made a calculated decision to relocate our business, and if it so much helps to create a better environment for the people of Karibib, Karibib Marble Crush is just too happy to have been of assistance with our decision to relocate,’ Berger said.