Angolan charcoal workers urged to work legally
Employees encouraged to visit nearest consulate
The police have made it clear that anyone working without a work permit is viewed as an illegal immigrant.
Namibian charcoal producers have been urged to encourage Angolan staff to visit their nearest consulate to obtain legal work documents.The challenges faced by Angolan workers without the necessary working permits have recently come under the spotlight.
The Charcoal Association of Namibia (CAoN) and the crime prevention forum of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) discussed the relevant challenges with police chief inspector general, Joseph Shikongo.
NAU said Shikongo made it clear that anyone without a legal work permit working in Namibia is seen as an illegal immigrant.
"However, he mentioned that it is not in the best interest of the police to arrest charcoal workers on a farm."
Security
The union said that should a worker be involved in criminal activities, the case will be investigated, which may lead to the arrests of the responsible culprits.
"The police cannot do this on their own; they will have to request the service of an immigration officer, who needs to identify the foreigner," explained the NAU.
The union urged producers to ensure that none of their workers are involved in criminal activities.
"Do not employ anyone who cannot be identified, even Namibians."
Channels
NAU advised there are currently three official places in Namibia where the Angolan consulate has an office, namely in Windhoek, Rundu and Oshakati.
It said charcoal workers can obtain a document at these offices, giving them permission to work in Namibia.
Angolan citizens must provide a legal identification document in order to obtain this document.
"As many of our Angolan charcoal workers now leave the country for the Christmas period, producers should give them a letter, signed by the producer, with the details of the farm so that they can obtain their document."
The NAU said that without an address in Namibia, the employees cannot obtain this document. It is the same procedure as for foreign visitors arriving in Namibia; they must provide an address where they will stay.
The way forward
In the new year, CAoN plans to conduct a separate meeting with the immigration and industrialisation ministries to discuss different ways to accommodate the thousands of Angolan charcoal workers in Namibia.
Namibia produces more than 200 000 tonnes of charcoal a year from invader bush, with more than 80% of this destined for different export markets.
The charcoal is exported to South Africa, Japan and Pakistan, and there have been efforts to access the Turkish market.
Namibian charcoal has also broken into the United States market. Charcoal producers have increased from 350 in 2014 to 1 082 at the end of 2020.