Debswana employee expresses pornography fears

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Thursday August 26, 2010 00:00

He said he wants P5 million from Debswana as compensation for planting cameras in the mining company's toilets at Orapa mine sometime in 2006, to spy on workers.

He said that since he did not consent to being filmed in the toilet, the act is a gross violation of his privacy. The cameras were installed at the Completely Automated Recovery Plant (CARP). A P215 million lawsuit has been launched by 43 workers from the plant, over the invasion of their privacy through the secret filming. Each worker is demanding P5 million. Modongo told the court yesterday that after the discovery of the cameras in July 2006, they feared that images that have been recorded might be flashed on the internet. He was concerned that other people might use the images for sexual gratification. He explained that there are other surveillance cameras at the mine that monitor employees but the difference is that they were installed with workers' agreement.

The case is before Justice Isaac Lesetedi. The workers from CARP filled Courtroom 4 of Lobatse High Court to listen to arguments by their attorney, Duma Boko and Debswana attorney, Advocate Paul Pretorius of South African who has been instructed by Collins and Newman law firm.

The court heard that the use of surveillance cameras was stopped in 2001 by the Orapa mine management.However five years later, a camera was found in the toilet and the employees are now aggrieved by the discovery.

Before the case was registered, it is alleged that Debswana owned up to the damaging blunder and offered to compensate the affected staff. However, the out-of-court settlement failed as Debswana was offering less than what the employees demanded. The case continues today.