Cement production at Cheetah Cement outside Otjiwarongo were shut down on Tuesday by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation due to non-compliance with labour laws on the health and safety of employees.
Labour inspectors accompanied by police from Otjiwarongo closed the factory.
A notice was delivered instructing the factory to close its grinding station, cement miller, rotor pack, cement warehouse and cement workshop.
Labour inspections on the factory on 03 May 2021 and 27 April 2022 necessitated the action, stated the notice.
“Also due to injuries of 04 March 2022 and 27 April 2022, when an employee lost his right finger at the pallet stacking section and also when another employee sustained finger injuries when he was unblocking the dust collector, all led to this action,” the document stated.
The closure is effective from 10 May 2022 until all identified hazardous areas are rectified.
Cheetah Cement was advised to inform the labour inspectors who should come verify before any resumption takes place.
Affected employees were sent home at 10h00 on Tuesday and are entitled to full remuneration.
Cheetah Cement Mine Manager, Immanuel Shilongo told Nampa in an interview on Tuesday that the identification and rectification of the listed hazardous areas will start on Wednesday so that production can commence next week.
On 21 April this year, Otjozondjupa Governor James Uerikua and regional council chairperson Marlayn Mbakera convened an urgent meeting at the factory demanding answers behind the labour unrest there.
The company is a joint venture between some Chinese investors and Whale Rock trading as Cheetah Cement.
Workers at Cheetah Cement said they work in a dusty environment with no dust masks and a Chinese supervisor allegedly comes to work with a gun to intimidate them.
Workers also have no medical aid, no pension and most of them earn about N.dollars 3 600 a month, they said.
On 05 April 2022, leaders of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) also confronted Cheetah Cement calling for the removal of Chinese nationals who were there with no work permits.
Eight Chinese were then arrested and escorted out of the country on 15 April 2022.
About 210 Namibians and 44 Chinese work for Cheetah Cement.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
