NNN: Workers deserve decent, secure jobs

OPUWO – President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has raised concerns over mining companies that keep workers on temporary contracts for too long, denying them access to full employment benefits.

In remarks delivered by Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy Modestus Amutse yesterday during the official opening of the Kunene Mining Summit, Nandi-Ndaitwah called on mining companies to end the practice and provide permanent employment opportunities to workers. She said workers deserve decent and secure employment that allows them to improve their quality of life.

The summit, which started on Wednesday, concludes today. It brought together various investors, traditional authorities and political leaders.

The theme of the summit is ‘Fostering an Enabling Environment for Sustainable Mining and Inclusive Economic Growth.’

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the summit had brought the right people together to discuss the region’s mining potential and economic opportunities. She described Kunene as “a region of striking landscapes, resourceful people and real economic possibility”.

“It is also a region of long distances, recurring drought and infrastructure gaps. Livestock farmers, conservancies, tourism operators and communities already depend on land and water that exploration may seek to use,” she said.

She added that stakeholders must approach the opportunities presented by mining with ambition while respecting the realities faced by communities in the region. Nandi-Ndaitwah further stressed that the Eighth Administration, through the Sixth National Development Plan, is pursuing productive growth, employment and greater value from Namibia’s natural resources. “In mining, that direction must be visible in decisions: which projects can advance responsibly; which skills and suppliers they will need; and which processing activities Namibia can sustain,” she said. She also said energy is important to exploration and value addition.

“Kunene’s renewable energy prospects and the longer-term Baynes hydropower initiative can contribute to a stronger regional economy as their respective plans advance,” she added. Nandi-Ndaitwah said mining companies should inform training institutions about the skills they will require and when they will need them.

“Let young Namibians train as geologists, surveyors, electricians, mechanics, plant operators, environmental officers and artisans. Apprenticeships must lead to work, and each serious project should set out the skills it will train, the jobs it expects to create and the opportunities it can open to local suppliers, with honest updates as the project changes,” she urged.

She further stressed that women must be given opportunities to enter technical occupations and ownership, rather than being limited to low-level service roles.

Nandi-Ndaitwah also urged investors to engage communities in areas where they intend to invest, saying this demonstrates respect for the people living there.

She said the true promise of Kunene is that a child in Opuwo, Khorixas, Okangwati or Sesfontein should be able to see a future in the resources and enterprises of their own region. “That is what inclusive growth means in human terms. Let us make room for responsible investment, process more value in Namibia, create decent work and share opportunity fairly. Let us respect the land and the people who have sustained it. From this summit, let us move with clear responsibilities and the resolve to carry them out,” she added.

– fhamalwa@nepc.com.na

The post NNN: Workers deserve decent, secure jobs appeared first on New Era.