Mmegi

Masama winter ‘camp-out’ ends, but questions remain

Face the people: Minister Kenewendo (far right) and other officials engaged the Meropa Resources workers recently to map out solutions
Face the people: Minister Kenewendo (far right) and other officials engaged the Meropa Resources workers recently to map out solutions

Employees of Masama Coal in Lentsweletau spent the winter in tents outside the suspended mine waiting for their salaries. While their dues are to be paid, their future and that of the mine, is still unclear. LARONA MAKHAIZA and MBONGENI MGUNI write

Masama Coal Mine, the country’s smaller colliery after Morupule Coal Mine, is yet another cautionary tale about how the cyclical nature of mining and logistics can wreak havoc on operations and workers’ lives.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggered an energy crisis in Europe and parts of Asia which lifted coal prices to record highs, boosting the country’s two collieries, which witnessed a surge in orders within Africa and abroad.

Editor's Comment
Ruling party should tread carefully on cadre deployment

But on the particularly sensitive question of cadre deployment, the BNF must tread very carefully.The issue deserves robust debate, not ideological enthusiasm. Recent public comments from the BNF leadership are reassuring: the party has said that government positions should be based on merit and competence rather than party membership, and that it does not have a specific cadre-deployment policy.That principle should remain firmly at the centre...

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