A group of certified Namibian oil and gas workers has appealed to Erongo Governor Natalia /Goagoses to intervene over what they say is the exclusion of qualified Namibians from employment opportunities in the country’s growing oil and gas industry.
On Wednesday, 8 July, a group of Certified Workers working in the Oil and Gas Industry, led by Mathew Natangwe, a Certified Rigger and Rope Access Technician, handed over a petition to the governor, arguing that many Namibians who invested in internationally recognised off-shore qualifications remain unemployed while foreign workers continue to occupy entry-level positions. According to Natangwe, many young Namibians responded to the government’s call to prepare for opportunities in the emerging oil and gas sector by obtaining internationally recognised qualifications, including OPITO, Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET), Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) and Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), primarily in South Africa. “We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness, empowerment and effective implementation of Namibian local content policy,” Natangwe said.
He said many trainees sold personal belongings, exhausted their savings and travelled to South Africa to obtain the required certifications, only to return home without employment. Natangwe further alleged that while qualified Namibians remain unemployed, foreign workers continue to fill entry-level offshore positions. He also expressed concern over labour broker arrangements, saying some workers receive significantly lower earnings than the value of the work they perform. The group called on government to strengthen oversight of employment practices, ensure equal pay for equal work where applicable, and protect Namibian workers from exploitation.
The petition also calls for stronger implementation of local content policies, greater opportunities for skills transfer from expatriate specialists to Namibians, and increased investment in local training institutions to prepare future generations for careers in the sector. One of the petitioners, Johanna Nehemia, shared her personal experience, saying she spent approximately N$50 000 from her savings on offshore training, accommodation and transport to South Africa after the government encouraged young Namibians to prepare for opportunities in the oil and gas industry. “I don’t regret it because I still have hope, but it is painful to spend that kind of money, return home with the qualifications and still sit at home waiting for an opportunity,” she said.
Andrew Pitt, who is a Rope Access, Roughneck, Roustabout and Non- Destructive Testing (NDT), speaking on behalf of experienced oil and gas workers, said the required offshore certifications are costly and have limited validity periods, forcing unemployed workers to spend thousands of dollars on renewals if they are not employed within a few years.
He alleged that Namibia already has hundreds of certified and experienced oil and gas workers capable of filling entry-level offshore positions and benefiting from skills transfer programmes. Receiving the petition, /Goagoses described the matter as one of national interest and commended the delegation for presenting what he called a well-prepared and constructive submission. “The matters raised in the petition are very clear,” /Goagoses said. “The request that has been put through to the Governor’s Office shall definitely be taken seriously.”
By Sharlien Tjambari
