NamPower stalls Skorpion Zinc mine resuscitation

FORMER employees of Skorpion Zinc mine at Rosh Pinah have accused national power supplier NamPower of stalling their re-employment.

The mine ceased operations in April 2020, sending over 1 500 direct and indirect employees to the streets.

This came after the mine’s lifespan ended in 2019.

Vedanta Zinc International (VZI), which acquired the mine in 2011, has concluded studies to revive the mine, with the potential to employ some 2 000 people.

This revival can only go ahead once a power-supply agreement with NamPower is concluded.

The former employees, through the former Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) branch chairperson of Skorpion Zinc, Petersen Kambinda, say NamPower has been delaying the conclusion of negotiations for over two years.

Kambinda urges NamPower to realise that the delay has a great impact on the people who could be employed, as well as on the country’s economy.

“There is no reasonable grounds for us to believe people can negotiate for almost two years and not reach an agreement. We are also disappointed that the Ministry of Mines and Energy has given these people an indefinite negotiation time,” he says.

He says the country cannot afford to have more people on the streets while a willing investor is available.

“They are willing to put money into Namibia, but no one will blindly go into a relationship when you don’t know what the tariffs are going to be. NamPower must just come to their senses,” he says.

Because of its locality, the mine is fed by NamPower through South African power supplier Eskom.

The power is wheeled through the Obib-Oranjemund 400 kV power line over the Orange River in the south of Namibia.

The mine will require approximately 160 MW of power for the restart of a refinery, which is expected to contribute significantly to the local community.

The mine cannot directly buy power from Eskom, because it does not have its own power transmission line and substations.

Even if it builds its own line this would by law automatically become NamPower’s as the national power utility possesses the licence to own and maintain such infrastructure.

At the beginning of this month, Vedanta announced it was looking into investing N$6,5 billion into the Namzinc Refinery Conversion Project, which has the potential to create over 2 000 jobs.

Company spokesperson Nora Ndopu says the company needs to secure an affordable power supply first for this project to go ahead.

“VZI is ready to start execution on the ground subject to the finalisation of power in a timely manner,” she says.

Ndopu says the company is currently consulting with the government and other key stakeholders to ensure the availability of power at affordable rates.

The operation of the mine has an economic impact on both Rosh Pinah and the country.

NamPower spokesperson Tangeni Kambangula did not respond to requests for comment by the time of going to print.

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