LLD workers still out in cold

MORE than two weeks after 150 workers of Lev Leviev Diamonds (LLD) were sent home following the factory’s closure, their fate remains uncertain.

LLD managing director Kombadayetu Kapwanga yesterday said the company remains in talks with the Namibia Diamond Trading Company (NDTC) but no agreement has been reached yet.On Friday, Jonas Lumbu, the general secretary of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), said LLD had agreed to still pay salaries until July 20. Apart from this, workers will receive one week’s pay for every year of service as part of their severance pay, Lumbu said.Should the company reopen the factory, the 150 workers should get preference to be employed there.Kapwanga yesterday said LLD big boss Lev Leviev is also concerned about the factory’s closure. ‘Of course [he is concerned]. If you train people and they are sent to the streets, it’s very painful. For every human being who can think, it’s cruel.’The future of the LLD Namibia employees was dealt a severe blow last month when they were told that they were being sent home – initially on unpaid leave for an indefinite period.It came after LLD did not make the NDTC cut against 13 other companies to purchase and process rough diamonds.Apart from a minimum global turnover of US$10 million for 2010, sight applicants should also had to comply with De Beers – a 50 per cent NDTC shareholder – Best Practice Principles, the compulsory criteria state.Kapwanga earlier said that their average annual turnover amounts to US$20 million.However, the company has been mired in controversy after the Namibian Police confiscated close to 2 000 stones from its factory early last year.It remains unclear whether this influenced the NDTC decision.At the beginning of June, the Police docket was forwarded to the office of the Prosecutor General (PG) for a decision on possible prosecution.On Friday, Martha Imalwa, the PG, said she has not taken a decision yet. According to her, she requested the Police to carry out additional work before she can come to a conclusion. ‘I cannot work under pressure – the lives of people and their future [are at stake].’At the time that the diamonds were confiscated by the Police, LLD accused an expatriate Israeli employee, Gabi Shitrit, of being behind the questionable package, saying Shitrit wanted to steal the diamonds. Shitrit has vehemently denied wanting to or having stolen diamonds. He claims that the company bought him a ticket to leave Namibia on the same day of the bust.The Israeli citizen has offered to return to Namibia to testify against LLD management provided the Namibian authorities provide him immunity against criminal prosecution.Despite correspondence to that effect, he is yet to hear about his offer.