"Mine suspends workers over bribery claims", 24 March 2020

ROosh Pinah Corporation mine owned by Trevali Mining Corporation has suspended two of its workers amid allegations of bribery.

The mine suspended its employee relations specialist Angeline Hagen, and machine operator Peter Masati last Thursday after the Rosh Pinah Mine Workers Union (MUN) branch had lodged bribery claims against them.

MUN regional organiser Elvis Bekele yesterday charged that the duo allegedly attempted to offer officials in the home affairs and immigration ministry N$9 500 to obtain a work permit for a South African national, Edden Shaun. The unionist further speculated the mine management was also involved in the bribery scandal in question...

According to Bekele, the union has also alerted the home affairs and immigration ministry on the “possible criminal network around the illegal issuance of work permits (to Rosh Pinah Corporation mine's foreign workers)”...

Meanwhile, Rosh Pinah mine management during August last year suspended 16 workers over a letter dated 19 August pertaining to accusations that the mine was in violation of affirmative action... Of the 16 suspended workers, 14 were slapped with warnings for their role in having signed the letter. The other two, who allegedly had authored the letter, were fired...

The mine's general manager, Christo Horn, on Thursday confirmed that a complaint of attempted bribery relating to obtaining work permits, implicating the company's employees, had been lodged.

“Upon becoming aware of these allegations, we immediately launched an investigation as we take in a serious light such allegations,” he noted, saying this type of behaviour is expressly prohibited by the company's anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy...