Kandjii-Murangi visits NIMT’s Keetmanshoop campus

KEETMANSHOOP, SEPT. 13 – Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation Itah Kandjii-Murangi Wednesday visited the Namibia Institute of Mining and Technology’s (NIMT) southern campus in Keetmanshoop, where she told employees to return to work.
Forty-four NIMT employees received retrenchment letters last week, a month after staff were informed of the financial burden experienced by the institution.
The minister has however directed the institute to reinstate the employees, saying Government “will not allow institutions such as NIMT to sink” because of financial challenges.
During the meeting, Kandjii-Murangi told the four employees of the southern campus who received retrenchment letters last week to ignore the letters and return to work.
“No one is retrenched, not at this campus or any other NIMT campus. Ignore those letters. However, those among yourselves who for medical reasons feel you cannot continue, can stay at home of your own free will,” she said.
Kandjii-Murangi said her ministry is busy engaging the Ministry of Finance to see how financial resources can be channelled to the different entities that fall under the ministry, including NIMT.
She also said the resources will not be sufficient to cover all needs and challenged NIMT’s management to cut costs to make ends meet.
Similar meetings were held at the NIMT campuses in Arandis and Tsumeb.
A statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday said retrenchment should be the last resort as the institute plays an important role in developing needed vocational and technical skills.
NAMPA