2015-05-13Staff Report 2 Walvis Bay Governor of the Erongo Region Cleophas Mutjavikua has urged Namibian workers employed by the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to adopt the Chinese’s ethics of hard work. Mutjavikua, who visited the N$3-billion port expansion project underway at Namport, said CHEC and Namport must see to it that not only skills transfer takes place but that Namibians also adopt the Chinese way of working so that they are able to undertake big projects in future. He said not much emphasis is placed on skills transfer and that he wants to see an elite team of Namibians participating at the forefront of the envisaged north port project as well. “These billion-dollar projects must also promote technology transfer in the process. We don’t always talk about that aspect. As for our port expansion project, we will have very modern facilities and achieve great milestones, but will lack that Namibian aspect therefore Namibians must learn from the Chinese to take over one day. “We need to listen, learn and adopt the Chinese way of thinking and working. We, as Namibians, during the skills transfer process must adopt the behaviours of Chinese workers so that we can in future undertake our own projects,” he stated. Mutjavikua also emphasised on the point of spinoffs of the port expansion, saying both Namport and CHEC should ensure that Namibians benefit through the spinoffs of the project. “At least N$100 000 should remain in the Namibian market. Uniforms and hats should be catered for by local companies. Why can’t they be made by a tailor in Kuisebmond? I would like us to emulate China’s development agenda and learn from it,” the governor said. The governor urged the Namibian and Chinese stakeholders to listen to one another to ensure sound and harmonious labour relations at all times. After the visit to the port, the governor met CHEC management to discuss labour relations. CHEC employs about 300 Namibian as well as 260 Chinese workers. The Chinese company was in November 2013 awarded the contract to construct the new port container terminal. The project commenced on May 19 last year and completion of the project is scheduled for May 18, 2017. 2015-05-13Staff Report 2
