Viljoen ecstatic as Andrada releases first sustainability report

 


Andrada Mining chief executive officer Anthony Viljoen says his company contributed over N$143m to the Namibian economy and funded over N$185,000 in community projects.


The Canadian company released its first sustainability report on 26 Jan., setting out policies, management approach to sustainability and performance data for 1 March 2021 to 28 Feb. 2022.


The report covers Andrada's mining projects in the Erongo region - the Uis mine, Nai-Nais, B1C1 and Brandberg.


Uis has tin with the potential for lithium and tantalum, while Nai-Nais has tin and lithium. B1C1 has tin and tantalum and Brandberg has tin, tungsten and copper.


"Our total procurement spend for the reporting period was in excess of N$294m, of which N$143m or 49% was spent across more than 250 Namibian businesses," Viljoen says. 


Andrada employs 128 Namibians at the Uis Tin Mine, while contractors employ an additional 187 people, most of who are women.


The company says it offered health safety and emergency response training to 110 employees (86%) and 68 contractors (36%), more than 178 employees and contractors, or about 57% of Andrada's workforce.


During the period covered by the sustainability report, Andrada says the total energy consumed was 58 733 gigajoules, equating to an efficiency of 0.13 gigajoules per tonne of ore processed. 


The report says Andrada works with the Settlement Office, Dâures Daman Traditional Authority, Huidare Elders and the Dâures Farmers Association, Stone Sellers, Namibian Police Force (Uis), Brandberg Primary and Petrus !Ganeb Secondary schools, Uis Youth Centre and Forum, Tsiseb Conservancy, Tatamutsi Local Development Committee, Brandberg Rest Camp, the relevant ministries, and Uis Tin Mining Company on community matters.


"We plan to forge a way for integrated sustainable development in whatever we do. Therefore, self-sustaining community development initiatives are as important to us as our success. Through the multiplier effect, which results from our activities at Uis, wider benefits accrue to our community," Viljoen says. 





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