Kunene governor intervenes in mine dispute
Kunene governor Vipuakuje Muharukua has asked parties to a dispute over the reopening of Goantagab Mine near Khorixas to make presentations on the issue to his office.
This comes after Dâure Daman Traditional Authority senior councillor Herman Naruseb petitioned the governor to intervene in the dispute, which has spilled into the courts.
“The suspension of the mining activities has had a direct and adverse impact on our community, particularly on those members who were temporarily employed during the mine’s brief operational period.
The resultant income loss continues to affect livelihoods, and uncertainty around the future of the project is a growing concern,” Naruseb says in the petition.
Goantagab Mine is located in the Sorris Sorris conservancy, under the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority.”
“I am aware of the petition sent to me by the Dâure Daman community and my office has asked the stakeholders to make presentations, and I await responses from them,” the governor said on Monday.
On 16 May, the governor’s office wrote to Timoteus Mashuna, who owns mining claims at Goantagab, and Ultimate Safaris, a tourism company operating in the area.
“Our office notes with interest that Ultimate Safaris and Timoteus Mashuna are engaged in a dispute over mining activities in the Dâures constituency and requires dispute resolution measures.
The governor emphasises the importance of tourism, conservation and mining in our nation and region … and cordially invites your representation on the matter,” reads the letter.
Muharukua said this will enable him to have more insight into this issue and thus determine the course ahead.”
“I don’t want to have preconceived ideas, but I trust we can bring the two companies together.
“We want to conserve, we want tourism, we also want to create jobs, we want to mine, and I don’t think these two interests are mutually exclusive,” the governor said.Mashuna welcomes Muharukua’s intervention as progressive.”
My claims cover only a small area of about four square kilometres hidden in the mountains and the rest of more than 2 000 hectares is there for tourism activities,” he says.
Mashuna says he had written to former governor Marius Sheya over the dispute because “the situation is impeding the progress of a project that holds substantial promise for the Kunene region”.
Ultimate Safaris managing director Tristan Cowley acknowledges receipt of the governor’s letter but says the three conservancies – Sorris Sorris, Doro Nawas, and Uibasen Twyfelfontein – will write a joint response to the governor.
“This is a matter between the conservancies, Ultimate Safaris, Mashuna, and Ottilie (Ndimulunde).”
He says he does not think the governor’s intervention would help resolve a dispute that is already subject to court proceedings.
The governor, however, said he was aware of the court proceedings on the matter.
“I don’t think it prevents us as a government to address the dispute, because the petition talks about potential employment creation, and people who are now without jobs, and that is high on the agenda of Swapo, so we want to strike a balance between the two entities, depending on the nature, and extent of the dispute,” he said.
The governor said he will be visiting the mine soon. – matthew@namibian.com.na
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