Debswana's spy toilet camera case postponed

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Tuesday January 17, 2012 00:00

Over 40 mine employees from the Completely Automated Recovery Plant (CARP) of Orapa are each demanding P5 million from Debswana mining company as compensation for the cameras that were found in their toilets. The 43 employees are suing for breach of their human rights after discovering a surveillance camera in the toilets they have been using.

The court heard that the use of the 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. Most of the aggrieved individuals fear that their images, allegedly captured secretly by the company cameras, could be used for pornography.

They say since they did not consent to being filmed in the toilet, the act is a gross violation of their privacy.The cameras were installed at the Completely Automated Recovery Plant (CARP) as part of strict preventive measures that were employed by Debswana. The security measures include strip searches, forbiddance of employees from handshaking or covering their mouths with their hands when sneezing during working hours and the installation of spy cameras in the toilets in the 'Red Area', which was used by 43 CARP employees. The case was set to resume yesterday and today for final submissions before Lobatse High Court Judge, Isaac Lesetedi. However, sources close to the case revealed that it has been postponed. The postponement was due to the fact that the case record has not been furnished to the parties, according to sources. It is understood that both parties needed the case record so that they can prepare a comprehensive final submissions before closing their case. Duma Boko is representing the employees, while Advocate Pretorius, instructed by Collins Newman law firm, represents the diamond giant.