Ongopolo admits financial difficulties

ONGOPOLO Mining and Processing has denied reports that the mine is to retrench some of its employees due to financial problems.

Ongopolo’s Director of Human Resources, Hofni Ipinge, told Nampa that there would be no retrenchment as the Vice-President of the National Union of Namibian Workers, Alfeus Muheua, told the media after his meeting with President Hifikepunye Pohamba at State House last Thursday. Ipinge admitted that the company had financial difficulties but said that would not result in layoffs.Instead, the management was negotiating with a British company known as Weatherly International PLC, he said.”Negotiations are currently at an advanced stage and results will only be made known publicly once we have finalised everything,” Ipinge said.Ongopolo Mining and Processing is a local copper producer which took over from the Tsumeb Corporation Ltd (TCL) and it currently employs close to 900 employees.Ongopolo operates four mines and a smelter – two mines at Otjihase and Matchless near Windhoek, one at Kombat and the fourth mine and a smelter complex situated at Tsumeb.Weatherly is a mining company that owns the Luanshya mine in the Zambian copperbelt.-NampaIpinge admitted that the company had financial difficulties but said that would not result in layoffs.Instead, the management was negotiating with a British company known as Weatherly International PLC, he said.”Negotiations are currently at an advanced stage and results will only be made known publicly once we have finalised everything,” Ipinge said.Ongopolo Mining and Processing is a local copper producer which took over from the Tsumeb Corporation Ltd (TCL) and it currently employs close to 900 employees.Ongopolo operates four mines and a smelter – two mines at Otjihase and Matchless near Windhoek, one at Kombat and the fourth mine and a smelter complex situated at Tsumeb.Weatherly is a mining company that owns the Luanshya mine in the Zambian copperbelt.-Nampa