Obrein Simasiku

OMUTHIYA – A group of former mineworkers assaulted a former colleague at B&E, International Namibia, a company contracted by Weatherly Mining at its Tschudi mine after he was accused of pulling out of a group resignation in which he was initially part of.
Collin Nguvauva has since opened a case CRO 33/07/2020 of assault read with grievous body harm after he was assaulted by eight of his former colleagues for allegedly reporting to work despite the group of over 130 having tendered group resignations last week.
The group agreed none of them should return to work after collapsed severance wage negotiations with their employer B&E who served them with termination letters of the contracts due to end of this month. The contract was to end on 31 December 2020. 
But due to the halting of mining operations by Weatherly Mining informing contractors it was severing ties, resulting in the termination of employees’ contracts.
However, after the failed negotiations on the acrimonious exit packages employees decided to down tools before the scheduled termination date of 31 July. 
Despite group resignations, the company requested some of the workers to return to work, a move that made the  workers feel betrayed thus prompting the assault. 
“When Nguvauva returned from work on Friday, while at home along 12th road, he saw a group of colleagues at around 17h00, who assaulted him for breaching the agreement. The victim was attacked with a beer bottle on the neck, kicked and punched all over his body before he managed to escape,” stated the crime 
report.
The victim sustained bruises and a swollen face and he was treated at Lombard hospital in Tsumeb. Seven of the suspects have been arrested and appeared in court on Monday and they were remanded in police custody.  The suspects are Ndatipo Marco (31), Jafet Indongo (35), Hosea Levi (35), Martin Martin (30), Abner Nghishitenda (28), Teofelus Hamukwaya (27) and Tshilongo Simon (32), while the eighth suspect is still at large. 
According to one of the former employees that this publication spoke to but requested anonymity for fear of possible reprisals, some of his colleagues were called back to work.
“This guy was assaulted by his colleagues because he went behind their backs, despite initially having agreed. Unfortunately, it had to come to this end,” he added. 
– osimasiku@nepc.com.na