KIMBERLEY Ekapa Mining (KEM-JV) announced on Thursday that the diamond mining company would now be known as Ekapa.
The name-change celebrations saw the company supplying protective Covid-19 masks to family members of all its employees.
Jahn Hohne, Ekapa CEO, said in a statement issued on Thursday that supplying protective Covid-19 masks to thousands of Kimberley residents supported the company’s brand heritage and positioning.
“These are special ‘Ekapa Super Masks’ that incorporate a hydrophobic water-resistant inner protection liner making the masks fully washable and reusable on a daily basis.”
Hohne added that the people at the mines had always been and continued to be proud to work to provide for their families. “And, their families are proud of them for the way in which they take care of their loved ones, through good times and the difficult times we overcome together as Ekapa-people.
“The masks are therefore not only a contribution to the fight against the Coronavirus, but also a token of our understanding of the pride of the Ekapa-people and how important their families are to them.”
Hohne stated that it signified the company’s new slogan Proud to Provide, through which recognition was given to all the people who have worked in the diamond mines in Kimberley for 150 years, “and specifically for those people continuing this heritage of pride found in earning a living through hard work to provide for those you are responsible for”.
“The name KEM-JV was a descriptor for the joint venture between Ekapa Mining and Petra Diamonds, which does not exist anymore. From today KEM-JV will be known as Ekapa, a name change that is implemented without changing employment agreements or working conditions while contributing to efficiencies through simplification of administration processes and management controls.
“The change facilitates simplification of the company structure, but more importantly, it also presents the opportunity to recognise the employees in the Ekapa-family who we admire and respect as hard-working people and who continue to be a significant part of the fibre of our city.”
