Mining houses call for Black Economic Empowerment

NAMIBIA’S three mining powerhouses from the southern part of the country – Namdeb, Rosh Pinah and Skorpion Zinc – are calling on their existing and potential suppliers to transform themselves by incorporating the concept of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE).

The policy was presented and discussed with local businesspeople and interested participants who attended an information session held by Namdeb, Rosh Pinah and Skorpion Zinc in Windhoek yesterday. A brochure handed out at the event said the Southern Namibia Mining Community had agreed to establish a preferential procurement partnership with Government and the Chamber of Mines to integrate public and private sector efforts into a cohesive approach.It was also explained that the mines in the southern Namibian community had recognised the need for the establishment of locally based contractors and service providers for their existing suppliers to transform to local and or disadvantaged status.Within operational units of the mines, a process has been instituted to identify and invite new service provider suppliers to register details of their companies, products and services with the mines.This would allow the Southern Namibia Mining Community to develop and identify suppliers that are classified as disadvantaged, local and SMEs, and to enter specific service providers into capacity building programmes designed for those suppliers.Suppliers will be classified in commodity groupings that are bottleneck commodities, strategic commodities, routine commodities and leverage commodities.Services supplied vary and range from toilet paper and stationery to mining equipment like ground engaging tools.Giving the main presentation on “Implementation Principles for Black Economic Empowerment and Local Economic Development” and explaining Preferential Procurement was Johan Streuderst of Decti Consultants (SA).Streuderst said Namibia’s mining procurement imperatives included preference that had to be afforded to previously disadvantaged Namibians.Suppliers that were classified as disadvantaged Namibians were to be assisted to develop and existing suppliers had to be encouraged to transform themselves.He said a Namibia Preferential Procurement Forum (NPPF) had been set up and its main mandate was to transform and verify providers using a database of disadvantaged Namibian suppliers.The database focussed on the identification, classification and verification of the Black Economic Empowerment credentials of both existing and new suppliers.The NPPF had also adopted three ways for the accreditation database to avoid fronting and to measure transformation.It will evaluate full compliance to costing, safety, health and environmental requirements and technical criteria.Thereafter, there will be selection criteria for a potential invitation to tender for opportunities.Malverine Rittman, Rosh Pinah contracts administrator and preferential procurement manager, said the process, which had started with the principles of transformation in February this year, will in July and August do the accreditation process, and, Rittman added, that by November the mines would have set BEE targets for suppliers and what was expected of them.Delivering the closing remarks, Namdeb managing director Bob Smart said the mining companies wanted to be part of an even, enhanced and improved situation by transforming the industry.He said it was necessary to see the industry being dependent on the local community around it and called on full co-operation from the gathering towards a sustainable growth in the mining industry for the economic development of Namibia.A brochure handed out at the event said the Southern Namibia Mining Community had agreed to establish a preferential procurement partnership with Government and the Chamber of Mines to integrate public and private sector efforts into a cohesive approach.It was also explained that the mines in the southern Namibian community had recognised the need for the establishment of locally based contractors and service providers for their existing suppliers to transform to local and or disadvantaged status.Within operational units of the mines, a process has been instituted to identify and invite new service provider suppliers to register details of their companies, products and services with the mines.This would allow the Southern Namibia Mining Community to develop and identify suppliers that are classified as disadvantaged, local and SMEs, and to enter specific service providers into capacity building programmes designed for those suppliers.Suppliers will be classified in commodity groupings that are bottleneck commodities, strategic commodities, routine commodities and leverage commodities.Services supplied vary and range from toilet paper and stationery to mining equipment like ground engaging tools.Giving the main presentation on “Implementation Principles for Black Economic Empowerment and Local Economic Development” and explaining Preferential Procurement was Johan Streuderst of Decti Consultants (SA).Streuderst said Namibia’s mining procurement imperatives included preference that had to be afforded to previously disadvantaged Namibians.Suppliers that were classified as disadvantaged Namibians were to be assisted to develop and existing suppliers had to be encouraged to transform themselves.He said a Namibia Preferential Procurement Forum (NPPF) had been set up and its main mandate was to transform and verify providers using a database of disadvantaged Namibian suppliers.The database focussed on the identification, classification and verification of the Black Economic Empowerment credentials of both existing and new suppliers.The NPPF had also adopted three ways for the accreditation database to avoid fronting and to measure transformation.It will evaluate full compliance to costing, safety, health and environmental requirements and technical criteria.Thereafter, there will be selection criteria for a potential invitation to tender for opportunities.Malverine Rittman, Rosh Pinah contracts administrator and preferential procurement manager, said the process, which had started with the principles of transformation in February this year, will in July and August do the accreditation process, and, Rittman added, that by November the mines would have set BEE targets for suppliers and what was expected of them.Delivering the closing remarks, Namdeb managing director Bob Smart said the mining companies wanted to be part of an even, enhanced and improved situation by transforming the industry.He said it was necessary to see the industry being dependent on the local community around it and called on full co-operation from the gathering towards a sustainable growth in the mining industry for the economic development of Namibia.