Karibib – QKR Namibia Navachab Gold Mine today donated over 2,000 bags of animal fodder to be used as part of the Erongo region’s fight against the current drought situation in the region. The donation, worth half a million Namibia Dollars (N$500,000.00), was received by the Regional Governor of the Erongo Region, Honourable Cleophas Mutjavikua at Karibib today.

Accepting the donation, Governor Mutjavikua said that agriculture plays a crucial part in the lives of the people of Namibia taking into consideration that 40% of Namibians depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and that employment in the sector amounts to 20% of total employment in Namibia.

 

The Governor further stated that “The Government of the Republic of Namibia takes full cognizance of the importance of agriculture to the people of this country and has placed relevant policy frameworks in place to contribute to increased agricultural production in line with the country’s Vision 2030, the fourth National Development Plans and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry’s mandate. However, with all its good intentions, nature – through the lack of adequate rains – has altered the course of those plans and therefore Government has had to, adapt to the new dynamics to ensure that its people do not lose their livelihoods.” And these plans, the Governor said, included budgeting and dedicating considerable amounts of money towards drought relief efforts.

 

Governor Mutjavikua said that the donation is exclusively for use in the Erongo region and pledged his office’s commitment to ensuring that it reaches the most vulnerable “so as to ensure that they maintain their livestock as long as possible.”

 

He praised Navachab mine for its “unselfish nature which, even as the mine is in difficult financial circumstances, saw it fit to look after the needs of its fellow Namibians by making this donation to the drought relief efforts.”

 

These difficult financial circumstances were elaborated on by the Managing Director of the mine, Mr. George Botshiwe, who said that the mine faced its most difficult challenge in 2018 as it “was in debt with no prospect of additional funding to sustain its operations. But today, I can proudly announce that we have enough financial resources which we are now investing into the Mine to continue operating sustainably into the foreseeable future, with the equipment and resources currently at our disposal. This was done through an employee-driven turnaround strategy aptly named Project Khaima.”

 

He further said that “We are fully aware that every cent counts going forward and that we need to re-invest prudently into operations to ensure sustainability. But, we do not operate in isolation from the rest of the community in which we are located.

As a mine operating in the Erongo region, and as a people concerned about the wellbeing of our fellowmen, we have a responsibility to assist our brothers and sisters in the region who are so severely affected by this year’s drought. We cannot therefore  just stand idly by whilst our people are suffering. We have to provide this support, even in the midst of our own financial challenges.”

QKR Namibia Navachab Gold Mine employs close to 400 fulltime employees and supports a variety of worthy Corporate Social Investment initiatives in the region, including its flagship karakul project as well as the development of a community garden in Karibib in addition to support of other local economic development endeavours in the region.

Issued by the Communications Department of QKR Namibia Navachab Gold Mine.

Contact:

Tuafi Shafombabi – Communications and Liaison Officer

Tel: +264 81 779 0042

Email: tuafi.shafombabi@navachab.com.na