Promoted OCTEA staff
By Septimus Senessie in Kono
It what it says is the beginning of its transformation process, diamond mining company, OCTEA Koidu Limited has promoted 23 of its local staff based in diamond-rich town of Kono.
Their positions range from drivers and clerks to shift bosses, supervisors, foremen and heads of some key departments in the mine.
Looking motivated, some of the newly promoted locals told Politico that “it is as a result of the local content policy which we have always asked the company to implement instead of bringing in foreign expatriates for jobs we can do better”.
They said the positions they were now promoted to were previously being occupied by foreigners. With their promotional certificates in their hands, they assured of their best to the company.
The General Manager, Christo Swanepoel, told Politico that the promotions were a part of their “transformational drive from total foreign ownership to local ownership”, adding that in his one year of management with the company, he had found out that locals had greater potential to improve on their productivity and move the company forward.
He said over the last few months all the locals they had promoted had lived up and beyond the expectation of management. He assured that with time 60% of their staff would be locals.
Swanepoel said 2014 was a year of “excellence in terms of safety and reaching our business objectives”. This, he stressed, had been achieved through their good relationship with communities affected by mining activities in the district.
Secretary General of the United Mine Workers’ Union, Ezekiel Dyke, thanked the company for responding to some of their recommendations "which seek to promote the welfare of our constituents".
He described mine workers as “the main pillars” for the success of the company.
(C) Politico 20/02/14
