Disgruntled workers at the Swartmodder mine, 5 kilometers on the outskirts of Rehoboth, spoke to Informanté after last week’s revelations that they had been laid off without a valid reason and missed out on three months’ worth of wages.

According to one mine-worker, who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, company bosses from the head office told the workers that they would receive 20% of one month’s salary. It was explained to them that because they had not been working over the previous three months they would only receive one-fifth of one month’s wages, which on average amounts to N$550.
“Yes I can confirm that we got paid. It’s not enough. We never asked to be sent home, but what should we do? We have been at home for three months and we only got N$550. These people should really start respecting their own contracts,” lamented a female worker who works in the mine’s laboratory, which has also been closed.
Informanté has it on good authority that the mine-owners ordered the workers that were laid off to re-start work last week, provided that they write a health and safety test. Some workers are illiterate and others needed translation. Some initially refused, but eventually most relented for fear that they may be victimised for refusing.
“Since the story was published the issue of the test came to the fore. What about those who cannot read or write, and above all, where is this test issue coming from?” asked one concerned worker. Many Swartmodder mine-workers are reportedly upset, because they have not received any pay-slips. This makes life difficult for many, as they need this proof of income in many cases, to open an account for example and to provide proof of payment at the child maintenance-office.
The workers allege that managers at the Swartmodder mine reneged on a promise to improve working conditions after they suddenly closed down the milling, crushing and floating in January this year.
“These people shipped out a lot of copper recently and we are piling up more here, but what we hear and read in the papers that the mine applied for milling, floating and crushing licenses causes us to fear [for our jobs]. What if that license is not granted?” asked
another.