Niël Terblanché
In the aftermath of the tragic death of senior security officer Francis Eiseb during a robbery at Namibia Desert Diamonds (Namdia) on 18 January, the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) has issued a scornful assessment of the company’s executive leadership and board of directors.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the union’s general secretary, George Ampweya said the systemic governance failures and neglect of employee welfare contributed to the fatal shooting incident.
Ampweya expressed deep disappointment over the leadership’s persistent disregard for the union’s concerns.
“It is deeply disheartening to see these concerns neglected time and again, despite our persistent efforts to bring them to the fore,” he said.
Ampweya detailed the union’s repeated attempts to engage Namdia’s board and chief executive officer on critical issues, including structural governance deficiencies and strategies for human capital development.
“Our recommendations aimed at enhancing organisational resilience and securing employees’ safety consistently fell on deaf ears,” he said.
Ampweya stated that this pattern of neglect directly contributed to the circumstances leading to Eiseb’s death.
“This wilful ignorance has culminated in the tragedy we are now mourning, an incident that could have been averted had the right measures been instituted,” he said.
The MUN is demanding immediate accountability from Namdia’s executive leadership and board.
“We demand transparent investigations and implementations of robust security protocols to prevent future tragedies,” he stated.
The union’s call for action comes in the wake of the armed robbery at Namdia’s Windhoek premises, during which Eiseb, aged 57, was killed.
According to official reports about the tragedy, four armed suspects entered the facility, leading to an exchange of gunfire that resulted in Eiseb’s death.
The suspects involved in the robbery have been identified as the internal and forensics investigation unit chief operations officer at Trusto, the late Max Endjala, his cousin Joel Angula, and Sam Shololo.
Endjala died during the incident, while Angula and Shololo have been charged with counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of uncut diamonds, and attempted murder.
Both have already made their first appearances in court and their cases were postponed to 23 May. Both were remanded in police custody.
“Our mission has always been to ensure a safe and conducive working environment for our members,” Ampweya said.
He added that the broader implications of the incident point to the need for systemic change within Namdia to prevent future tragedies.
Namdia last week indicated that it will not make any public statement until investigations are concluded.
