Lubango – The quarry in the Mapunda neighborhood, in the municipality of Lubango, Huíla province, has become the main source of livelihood for at least 230 families in that area, with the production of aggregates such as crushed stone and sand for civil construction.
The municipality of Lubango currently has two artisanal quarries, the one in the Mapunda neighborhood and the one in Cristo Rei, “led”, mostly by women who work in a rudimentary and disorganized way, under constant risk of work accidents.
Speaking to ANGOP, Mali, 29 years old, mother of four children, says she has worked in the quarry for 13 years and admits that the work is “difficult”, due to the dangers it poses, and that many of the sales are not worth the effort expended.
She declared that during the day she can produce for sales ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 kwanzas ($12), although she has never been victim of an accident, she claims to have witnessed colleagues getting hurt, highlighting two deaths of women who were buried when extracting fragments of rocks.
Elderly Linda, a 70-year-old widow, is a reseller of inert materials, and says she chose the business to support herself and her son who does not work, but has difficulty acquiring it, as prices vary from 2,000 to 5,000 kwanzas, considered high for your income, which is three thousand/day.
“I work with my sister who manages to buy the stone and shares it with me and from then on, I can do the work. I lost count of how long I worked here, because I started with the Chinese who had a company set up here and after they left, I continued on my own”, she said.
Mónica, 28 years old, another worker at the quarry, from Benguela, is the mother of three children and has used the place as a source of food income for almost a year, an activity carried out by some cousins and aunts there.
She highlighted that she has a daily income of 1,000 to 2,000 kwanzas, which she has only used to provide basic food for the children who, due to financial issues, do not study, as she had to leave Benguela to join his family in Lubango because of the difficulties she faced.
Contacted by ANGOP, a person responsible for the General Labor Inspectorate (IGT), who preferred anonymity, stated that it is difficult to control production, even if it is degrading, because, above all, it is carried out individually and not by legal entities, but which has been working in raising awareness among families, to improve the conditions of the activity.
Currently there is not even a cooperative that represents these families in the craft, as it is done individually and mostly by women, although there are men involved in the process of extracting and breaking the large rocks. MS/CF/DOJ
