KEETMANSHOOP – The Neckertal dam project is being delayed by a shortage of bricklayers, special advisor to the governor of the //Karas Region, Lucia Basson, told New Era.
Basson sits on the recruitment committee of the multi-billion-dollar project.
Basson said the shortage is becoming a serious concern and has now necessitated the committee to arrange with vocational training centres to salvage the situation in the interim.
She urged local residents from the region to send their children to vocational training centres so that they can be suitable for the jobs on offer.
“It is a big problem, if people can just send their children to vocational training centres even if it is just for six-month courses, as long as they have the certificate and know what to do,” she said.
She added that a minimum age restriction has been put in place that would guard against people who retire from government ministries thinking they can land an easy job at Neckartal.
She further lamented the working culture of the people of the region saying it is heartbreaking to see how local leaders are going out of their way to create employment but which is not appreciated. “We have information that some people fire themselves. I also understand two were given N$500 each to buy food and mattresses and they never returned. We will not tolerate this any longer; we will apply the law where applicable,” said Basson.
Basson’s concerns were echoed by Paulus Nahole, site manager of the Babyface Construction Company, one of the building contractors at Neckartal under Rivoli, saying they are investigating one employee who has been AWOL for the last three days.
Nahole expressed great frustration with the state of affairs, saying only three people of the more than 200 people who were interviewed since the start of the project were qualified for the job.
“We are falling behind schedule very, very much if we must wait in vain for another week to come; we needed those people yesterday already. We already need 40 between today (Tuesday) and Wednesday and this will seriously delay the project,” he said.
He added it is difficult to find skilled bricklayers in the region and that most of the people are simply taking chances thinking they can make a quick buck.
“There are no bricklayers only people who claim they can build but they do not have anything concrete that can back up their claims such as a qualification or reference. We have experiences of people who come here claiming to be skilled workers and demanding a high salary and once they start working we see that they have no idea of what to do. Some just even tell us they will work on their pace because we are paying them too little,” said Nahole.
Nahole explained that the minimum wage for a qualified bricklayer ranges between N$ 24.85 and N$50 per hour, whereas a semi-skilled person will be paid N$ 16 per hour.
He further accused one of the workers, a certain Hermanus Kukuri, who was demoted from a semi-skilled supervisor after it was discovered that he had no skills, of instigating workers out of spite.
“He tried to convince us that he can do the job so we gave him the chance but then he could not deliver at all. Se we demoted him because we need people who can work at a fast pace. Now he is telling workers to work very slowly or not to listen to instructions from their supervisor and telling them that they have their rights.”
Kukuri on his part refused to comment unless this reporter told him who made the allegations against him.”If you cannot tell me who said that then you are not getting anything out of me. I am happy with what they did, but if their story comes out then I will come out to clear my name,” he said.
Meanwhile, Berseba Constituency Councillor and Member of Parliament (MP) Dawid Boois has accused the recruitment committee for nepotism. Boois said he can substantiate his claim by naming the people who have been appointed through nepotism.
He said his office has been inundated with calls since the start of the project in November last year – calls from people who raised concern regarding the manner in which people are being appointed.
“I have been receiving calls since last year. In most cases those who received jobs were brought there by their friends or their relatives. You see, I am from here, I know these people. I can even go there now and point out who is whose brother and who are friends with whom,” he said, adding he is yet to take up the issue with the committee, but is constrained by time.
“I have not had the time yet to meet with these people. Another thing is, the recruitment process is not transparent. This dam is in my constituency but my office was not acknowledged in this process. They even shut me out during the ground-breaking ceremony for the dam. I saw the program a day before the time. I tried to influence the program but it was in vain. I had to get in, in a cunning manner so I slipped in to do the welcoming,” he said.
He also claimed that people from the /Hai-/Khaua community are advantaged during recruitment.
“Some members are applying on the letterhead of the traditional authority and I understand although it is only a rumour that people who apply like this are given preferential treatment,” said Boois.
He said the Neckartal dam is a national project and that every Namibian should have access to employment created under the massive project.
Basson, however defended the committee saying everyone in the region is related to or acquainted with one another one way or the another.
She also said it is unfortunate the committee should be accused of nepotism, explaining the committee only does the shortlisting, while the interviews and recruitment are entirely the responsibility of Salini and their contractors.
Some of the 120 workers employed at the Neckartal dam that currently faces a skills deficit that could derail the ambitious project.