More than 60 per cent of the QKR Namibia Navachab Gold Mine’s workforce is from the Karibib Constituency in the Erongo Region, the mine has said following allegations of unfair recruitment for 60 machine operato positions.

Communication consultant Usi ||Hoebeb told Nampa in an interview on Friday 61 per cent of the workforce is local.

||Hoebeb said the mine has recruitment policies and processes in place that ensure fair and transparent processes adhering to the implemented conditions of its mineral licences, for the employment of staff.

“The mine gives preference to Namibian citizens who possess appropriate qualifications, expertise and experience for purposes of its particular operations to be carried on in terms of such mineral licence and 61 per cent of the workforce employed in the past two to three years are from the Karibib Constituency. Vacancies are advertised as internal, local, regional, national or even international depending on the skills set and qualifications required,” ||Hoebeb stated.

He added that the mining machine operators go through extensive screening which includes written, oral, psychometric and medical tests, as well as interviews. Only those who pass the screening are recruited as operators.

“We remain cognisant of the employment needs of residents and have encouraged residents to submit their CVs for consideration. The mine has a database of residents which it recruits from as the need arises, as long as they meet the skills set required or can be trained,” said ||Hoebeb.

In an interview with Nampa last week, Great Erongo Community Development Association (GECDA) vice director Raymond Tjiuongua alleged that none of the people interviewed for the positions were from the region.

“People who came from the far southern and northern regions were being interviewed for the positions,” he stated.

The GECDA on 17 May 2021 demonstrated over alleged unfair recruitment of 60 operators and handed over a petition to the mine’s management.

Source: Namibia Press Agency