Longtime Namdeb employees celebrate milestones

Barend Matthee, an engineering foreman, holds a distinctive Namdeb record. Recently he has completed 40 years service with Namdeb.

Namdeb recognised 30 employees for dedicating 25, 30 and 35 years to the company. Remarkably the event themed, ‘Celebrating Milestones’. At the same event, Namdeb also recognised Barend Matthee an Engineering foreman for 40 years employment service.
Matthee joined Namdeb then CDM in 1975 as an apprentice and qualified as an artisan in 1978. During career path as an artisan he worked in most of the field service workshops.
Twenty years ago he was promoted to the position of a foreman a position that also led him to operate across 90% of Namdeb’s Engineering workshops.
Among his many memorable moments with Namdeb Matthee singles out the seawall breach that the company experienced in 2011 and 2015 respectively. “I have never seen the Namdeb men and women pull together so well, as they did it during the seawall breaches,” he said.
He attributes his loyalty to the company to the various factors which includes the fact that the company looks after its employees, respectful colleagues who pull together through good and bad times.
The event was the last for Namdeb CEO, Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi who left Namdeb at the end of the July as well as Orange River Mines Manager, Kakia Kakia who is going on early retirement.