By: Eba Kandovazu

The labour, industrial relations and employment creation ministry has granted permission to Cheetah Cement to resume its operations last Monday after it was ordered to close.

The stoppage affected all production activities at the grinding station, cement mill area, rotator pack area and cement warehouse, according to the ministry’s acting executive director Lydia Indombo.

She also said the closure of the mine followed a number of inspections in terms of the basic condition of employment and occupational health and safety by the ministry, whereby violations related to occupational health and safety regulations were detected.

She says contraventions by the mine in terms of safety regulations were employees not provided with suitable personal and protective equipment such as hearing protection for excavator operators, kidney belts for back support, face masks designed for mining operations where excessive dust is evident and lighting in the mining area and spotter works were in total darkness.

“Failing to maintain good housing on-site and within the cement mill, cement storehouse and elsewhere where applicable, the employer failed to provide adequate sanitary conveniences and canteens to employees, and they failed to provide first aid and emergency arrangements as well as providing health and safety statutory structures on site by not establishing a health and safety committee.”

The ministry also says the employer has never investigated and identified the hazards and risks attached to the work and Emily appropriate measures to prevent or minimise risk.

Indombo also added that the employer failed to have a health and safety policy and program in place and provide employees with the necessary information and training to work safely and without a risk to their Heath.

According to her, the mine also failed to make arrangements for first aid and emergency or provision for other emergency facilities and supplies and the mining trucks are operated without proper tyre handling tools and machinery. The mine also has no safe work procedures for tyre-handing.

“We conducted verification inspections on 16 and 20 May 2022 to evaluate the compliance on the identified shortfalls, and we are satisfied with the level of compliance as well as arrangements thereof and thus recommended for resumption of production activities,” Indombo stated.

The plant was initially visited by Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), who alleged that the workers do not work under conducive circumstances.

The Chief administration officer at the time told the villager that NEFF leaders barged into the premises without authorisation and that he had registered a tress passing case.

The group had also claimed that most Chinese nationals working there did not have work permits. Days later, eight Chinese nationals were arrested by the police after it was found that they had no working permits.