OTJIKOTO – Commercial farmers in the areas surrounding the Otjikoto gold mine have expressed concern that the presence of mineworkers near their farms would result in informal settlements springing up in the vicinity, which could further lead to the poaching of wildlife and livestock theft. The farmers expressed their worries at a public meeting organised by the mine management this week, with some of the farmers asking whether the mine would monitor the mineworkers when they are off duty.
However, Bill Lytle the Managing Director of the mining company B2Gold Namibia, which owns 90 percent of the gold mine, told the commercial farmers that the mine would strive to assist in the provision of permanent housing to all full-time staff at the new mine. There would however not be any permanent structures at the mining site. The Otjikoto gold mine is located about 60km north of Otjiwarongo.
Besides the farmers’ fears about poaching, they also fear a possible escalation in crime.
However, Lytle stressed the mine would help mine workers obtain housing with the support of the town councils of Otjiwarongo and Otavi. Lytle explained that the mine would also rope in commercial banks to provide housing finance once the mine offers a guarantee on the housing loan. “We are also working with builders in the area to look at the construction of both low-end and high-end housing units for our staff,” said Lytle.
Lytle explained that a construction camp about two kilometres northeast of the mine has become operational to house construction workers from the Otjikoto site. The mine will eventually house up to 800 workers, although a large percentage of the workforce comes from Otavi and Otjiwarongo and are bussed to the site on a daily basis. This camp, which consists of temporary structures, will only be operational during the construction phase of the mine. Once construction is complete the structures will be dismantled and donated to worthy institutions around the country.
The current staff complement at the mine is just over 500, with the majority working in construction-related activities at the mine. Over 96 percent of employees are previously disadvantaged, and almost 11 percent are female while close to 73 percent hail from the Otjozondjupa Region.
Lytle said that when mine workers are off duty they will be transported back to their respective towns, which he said should minimize poaching in the area. The B2Gold Namibia MD added that some poaching has already been experienced on the mine site, which consists of four farms totalling 16 000 hectares.
By Edgar Brandt