Engagement with the Minister of Justice and Labour Relations
On Sunday 30 August 2026, we welcomed the Honourable Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Hon. Fillemon Wise Immanuel, as part of his three-day tour of mining operations across the //Kharas Region. He was accompanied by Labour Commissioner Mrs. Kylliki Sihlahla and a delegation of Labour Inspectors.
The visit forms part of the Minister's ongoing engagement with Namibia's mining sector, an effort to strengthen social dialogue between workers and employers, and to gain first-hand insight into the state of industrialisation and working conditions across the industry.
Mine Manager Mr. Francisco Ballesteros and members of RPZ's management team as well as BEC welcomed the delegation, using the occasion to share the RPZ story, including its history, current operations and the transformation now underway through the RP2.0 Expansion Project.
The programme included an underground tour, giving the Minister and his team a first-hand appreciation of the scale and complexity of RPZ's operations, followed by a surface tour highlighting the infrastructural and engineering investment behind RP2.0, a clear demonstration of RPZ's commitment to modernising its operations, improving productivity and securing the mine's long-term sustainability.
As part of the visit, the Minister met with employees at their accommodation facilities, offering a window into employees' lived experience at the mine, and into the benefits and support structures available to them.
Speaking with employees, the Minister encouraged them to safeguard the strength of the existing employer-employee relationship, while continuing to raise concerns through established channels — via their Bargaining and Employee Consultative (BEC) representatives and management. The visit underscored the importance of constructive engagement, mutual respect and sustained dialogue to support strong labour relations.
The visit also gave RPZ leadership the opportunity to reaffirm the company's role as a meaningful contributor to Namibia's economic development, not only through mineral production, but through job creation, local economic activity, infrastructure investment and community development.
RPZ thanks Honourable Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Hon. Fillemon Wise Immanuel for taking the time to visit the project and reinforcing the importance of a genuine tripartite partnership between Government, employers and employees to support a resilient, sustainable mining industry in Namibia.
