2016-07-06Staff Report 2 Tsumeb Last week the Tsumeb Municipality was locked in a confrontation with a youth movement group employed on a voluntary basis to keep the copper mining town clean. The self-proclaimed Harambee Cleaning Group last week had demanded some compensation from the municipality for services provided, although they had initially volunteered their services at no cost. But then in a U-turn they said they needed some support to keep them going and expressed the hope that one day the municipality might employ them when positions became available. However the municipality had indicated that it would not pay them for the hours worked on grounds it did not have sufficient funds, but eventually did so for them not to work on empty stomachs. Harambee Cleaning Group consists of between 30 to 45 volunteers who have cleared bushes around graveyards, swept roads and cleared bushes around town, including land for developmental purposes. Group leader Reinhold Ntinda said: “I would like to state that all is good now and we will continue working as volunteers until we are offered a tender or any sort of project whereby we are offered payment. As you know we cannot keep working on empty stomachs, so at one point it’s needed.” According to the town engineer Junias Jacob the municipality offered the volunteers some payment to acknowledge the good work they are doing in keeping the town clean. According to Ntinda the group members received between N$600 to N$1 200 depending on the number of days they had worked. Previously the group received a personal donation of N$1 000 from the mayor Vevueza Kasiringua in recognition of their goodwill and hard work. 2016-07-06Staff Report 2
