Roynam in hiding

A WEEK after losing their contract at a Rosh Pinah mine, 33 employees of the troubled Roynam Catering Services remain in the dark over their future.

The workers say that since Exxaro management informed them last Tuesday that it was terminating its contract with the catering company with immediate effect, they have been unable to get in contact with either the management or ownership of Roynam.
The company’s last communication around the time of the workers’ eviction was, according to shop stewards spoken to, ‘to carry on as if nothing happened’.
To date workers have not received any feedback on queries regarding their current work status, or retrenchment procedures.
They have also been left without last month’s salary.
Roynam’s administrative offices are in Windhoek.
Attempts to reach finance manager, Larry Gonteb, have been unsuccessful, while director for the company – recently re-instated TransNamib CEO Titus Haimbili – has repeatedly refused to comment on the matter.
‘Please, I don’t want to be rude to you. I’m in a meeting … just phone Roynam management’ Haimbili told this reporter when contacted on his cellphone yesterday.
Staff at the caterer’s Windhoek offices said yesterday that Gonteb had been booked off ill.
Former Roynam CEO Isaack Kaulinge, has reportedly resigned from the company, and according to Rosh Pinah employees, has been residing in South Africa for the past two months.
The Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau), who the workers approached for assistance last week, has told the newspaper through president Abel Kazondunge, that it was still investigating the matter before deciding to become involved.
Exxaro management last week said it had decided to cancel Roynam’s contract following multiple instances of the company failing to supply food as per their tender requirements.
Just days prior to the Exxaro incident, on Thursday, July 2, Roynam failed to supply food to patients at both the Windhoek and Katutura State hospitals.
It is understood that a meeting was held between Roynam management and the ministry last Monday, where the company successfully pleaded with the ministry to forgive its failures and renew its contract.