Skorpion Zinc not yet recruiting for new jobs
Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) and Skorpion Zinc, the largest integrated zinc refinery in Africa, have expressed their dismay with various notifications currently doing the rounds in which it is alleged that Skorpion Zinc is hiring, and that CVs can be submitted to some // Kharas constituency offices and an agency parading itself as Bureau Veritas Africa.
According to Nora Ndopu, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Manager, these recruitment notifications and adverts are a scam. “We are not yet offering additional employment opportunities at the Skorpion Zinc mine, and would thus like to warn the public that these notices are a scam, and not published by Skorpion Zinc. It has further come to our attention that people are allegedly being advised to submit their CVs at the constituency offices within the // Kharas and Hardap Regions. This is highly irregular, and not part of any recruitment processes and procedures of Skorpion Zinc”, she stated.
Ndopu reiterated VZI’s commitment to the expansion of the Namzinc Refinery Conversion Project, which is expected to become the single-biggest investment in the //Kharas region.
“In our last media statement, we advised that we were looking at the creation of approximately 2000 jobs, and this is still the case. We do, however, have a lot of ground to cover before this expansion project becomes a reality. The critical success factor is the availability of power at an affordable rate. VZI is ready to start execution on the ground, subject to the finalisation of power in a timely manner. Once up and running, Namibians will be able to apply for employment at Skorpion Zinc via the proper and company-approved channels. We are excited about the future possibilities, and hope that we can open up employment opportunities in the near future,” she continued.
Skorpion Zinc is currently under care and maintenance, following geotechnical instabilities in the open pit, resulting in the cessation of mining activities. In order to create a sustainable life for Skorpion Zinc and shorten the care and maintenance period, VZI’s accelerated focus is currently on the Namzinc Refinery Conversion Project, which will enable co-treatment of both sulphides and oxides to produce refined metal.
The successful execution of this project will result in Namibia being the only country in Africa to produce refined SHG (Special High Grade) Zinc, and this will make Namibia a net exporter of zinc metal. The project is planned to produce 300 000 tonnes of refined zinc metal per annum. The total investment on the project is estimated to be N$6.5 billion, with a job creation range of approximately 2000.