2020 Mining Expo and Conference cancelled
“The chamber is under no illusion that the country is spared from the possibility of further infections.”- Veston Malango, CEO: Chamber of Mines of Namibia
Phillepus Uusiku
The Mining Expo and Conference that was scheduled for 2-3 September 2020, after having been postponed from 22-23 April, has been cancelled.
The event is expected to take place early next year, provided the pandemic subsides enough to permit large public gatherings.
At present, there are too many uncertainties about what restrictions could be in place for mass gatherings in September, says Veston Malango, the chief executive of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia.
Malango said after the first cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Namibia on 14 March 2020, the chamber postponed the Mining Expo and Conference to September.
After an in-depth assessment, the chamber decided to call off the 2020 Mining Expo and Conference, Malango added.
Although the situation in Namibia appears to have stabilised, the chamber is under no illusion that the country will be spared from further infections, he said.
Moreover, the postponed dates fall within the state of emergency which lapses on 22 September 2020 with no certainty whether it may be extended, he added.
It is therefore impossible to predict the government’s future decisions on mass gatherings, Malango said.
He emphasised that exhibitors who have paid their registration fees will receive a full refund.
With the global efforts to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, the chamber remains hopeful that the Mining Expo and Conference will be able to take place in 2021. Details and dates will be communicated towards the end of the year, he said.
The Mining Expo and Conference that was scheduled for 2-3 September 2020, after having been postponed from 22-23 April, has been cancelled.
The event is expected to take place early next year, provided the pandemic subsides enough to permit large public gatherings.
At present, there are too many uncertainties about what restrictions could be in place for mass gatherings in September, says Veston Malango, the chief executive of the Chamber of Mines of Namibia.
Malango said after the first cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Namibia on 14 March 2020, the chamber postponed the Mining Expo and Conference to September.
After an in-depth assessment, the chamber decided to call off the 2020 Mining Expo and Conference, Malango added.
Although the situation in Namibia appears to have stabilised, the chamber is under no illusion that the country will be spared from further infections, he said.
Moreover, the postponed dates fall within the state of emergency which lapses on 22 September 2020 with no certainty whether it may be extended, he added.
It is therefore impossible to predict the government’s future decisions on mass gatherings, Malango said.
He emphasised that exhibitors who have paid their registration fees will receive a full refund.
With the global efforts to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, the chamber remains hopeful that the Mining Expo and Conference will be able to take place in 2021. Details and dates will be communicated towards the end of the year, he said.
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