An employee of Uis Tin Mining Company, Fillemon Mwashidange, died while at work on Monday.
The company confirmed Mwashidange’s death in a memorandum to employees and contractors on Monday.
Uis Tin Mining Company general manager Dana Hattingh says the company was saddened by the death and extends condolences to Mwashidange’s family, loved ones and colleagues.
The company has not disclosed the circumstances surrounding Mwashidange’s death.
However, the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) says Mwashidange collapsed while on duty and later died.
Mwashidange was also the chairperson of the union’s Uis branch.
MUN western region chairperson Niklaas Afrikaner says workers who witnessed Mwashidange collapse should be given time to deal with what happened before returning to their normal duties.
He says normal work activities resumed in the affected area after the incident, prompting the union to ask management to temporarily suspend work there.
“The union believes that following an incident of this nature, it cannot simply be business as usual,” he says.
Afrikaner says production should not come before the safety and welfare of workers following a death at the workplace.
The union has asked management to give employees time and space to mourn their colleague and provide counselling and trauma support to those who witnessed the incident.
Afrikaner says employees who saw Mwashidange collapse should not simply be expected to return to work without considering how the incident affected them.
“We request that appropriate professional counselling, trauma support and employee assistance services be made available to affected employees as a matter of urgency,” he stressed.
The union wants the area where the incident happened to be secured and all relevant information, equipment and records preserved for an investigation.
