MUN wants end to the export of Namibian minerals in raw form

ALMOST 16 years after Independence, Namibia’s minerals continue to be exploited and exported in raw form without adding any significant value to the economy.

This was the main concern of outgoing Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) president Connie Pandeni during the union’s ninth national congress held this weekend. Pandeni said after decades of mining in Namibia, multi-national companies still fail to set up local manufacturing industries or factories to process minerals locally, while claiming that no local expertise can be found to enable factories to be set up.”The question is, why did they fail to produce such expertise?” she asked.Pandeni also called on the Minister of Mines and Energy, Erkki Nghimtina, to look into health and safety standards in mining companies, which she said continued to claim the lives of employees at the expense of profits.”Just in the past four years since our last congress,” she told delegates, “seven lives were lost, one worker was permanently paralysed and ten sustained serious injuries.”Inspectors from the ministry are only seen after lives have been lost or accidents happened, she said, calling for inspectors to inspect mines on a more regular basis.Nghimtina, in his opening address, assured delegates that Government would not tolerate the exploitation and inhuman treatment of its citizens, and called on mining companies to improve working conditions on mining sites.He also said that remuneration should be on par with productivity, and that where possible, workers should be given shares in companies.”It is only then that they will feel appreciated and it is only then that they would feel a sense of belonging,” he said.Pandeni said after decades of mining in Namibia, multi-national companies still fail to set up local manufacturing industries or factories to process minerals locally, while claiming that no local expertise can be found to enable factories to be set up.”The question is, why did they fail to produce such expertise?” she asked.Pandeni also called on the Minister of Mines and Energy, Erkki Nghimtina, to look into health and safety standards in mining companies, which she said continued to claim the lives of employees at the expense of profits.”Just in the past four years since our last congress,” she told delegates, “seven lives were lost, one worker was permanently paralysed and ten sustained serious injuries.”Inspectors from the ministry are only seen after lives have been lost or accidents happened, she said, calling for inspectors to inspect mines on a more regular basis.Nghimtina, in his opening address, assured delegates that Government would not tolerate the exploitation and inhuman treatment of its citizens, and called on mining companies to improve working conditions on mining sites.He also said that remuneration should be on par with productivity, and that where possible, workers should be given shares in companies.”It is only then that they will feel appreciated and it is only then that they would feel a sense of belonging,” he said.