Justicia Shipena
“The end of a life of a mine or a change in its production model should not result in job losses or job insecurity,” speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said as she called for stronger efforts to promote decent work in Namibia’s mining sector.
She made the remarks on Monday at Droombos in Windhoek while opening a public dialogue on advancing decent work in Namibia’s mining sector.
The parliamentary standing committee on poverty eradication, labour and industrial relations, with support from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), convened the dialogue.
“Mining continues to be a strategic pillar of Namibia’s economy. It contributes significantly to revenue, foreign exchange earnings, and employment. Yet, as policymakers, we must look beyond economic indicators to consider the lived realities of workers and their families. Growth must translate into fair opportunities, safe workplaces, and sustainable livelihoods,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She said decent work is a constitutional principle.
“Decent work is not simply a policy aspiration; it is a constitutional principle. It underpins human dignity, social justice, and poverty reduction. Where employment is insecure, unequal, or poorly regulated, these values are compromised,” she said.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said enforcement of labour laws remains a challenge.
“The challenge lies in ensuring effective implementation, consistent enforcement, and accountability. Laws must be applied in practice, not only in theory,” she said.
She said the dialogue was not meant to assign blame.
“The purpose is not to assign blame but to identify solutions and strengthen shared responsibility,” she said.
The workshop was about developing recommendations to guide parliamentary oversight and improve employment conditions.
“Namibia’s long-term prosperity depends on aligning economic growth with social justice. By embedding decent work at the core of our mining sector, we can ensure that progress benefits not only the economy but also the communities and families who sustain it,” she said.
“We urge businesses to continue to work with government in this journey to ensure that we optimise the benefits from mining to ensure business profitability, economic development and the welfare of employees and communities,” she said.
At the same event, the chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on poverty eradication, labour and industrial relations, Justina Jonas, said mining remains central to the economy but warned that oversight by the committee had uncovered problems affecting workers and communities.
“Yet, recent oversight by the Committee has highlighted concerning practices that threaten the welfare of workers and the communities in which these mines operate,” she said.
She listed retrenchments, outsourcing, unequal treatment of subcontracted employees, occupational health and safety gaps, and weak skills transfer as areas of concern.
Jonas said the dialogue provides space for engagement.
