The ministry of environment has said it will make its decision on the proposed uranium mining project in the Omaheke region based on science, not political considerations.
The proposed project has raised concerns that it could contaminate groundwater in the area. The Stampriet aquifer supplies drinking and irrigation water to the Omaheke and Hardap regions, as well as to Botswana and South Africa.
“We are all concerned about potential activity in this aquifer, but this project also has potential for jobs and our economy. We will not make a political decision, we will wait to see what the science says,” the government’s liaison to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Axel Tibinyane, told the media on Wednesday.
Headsprings Investments, a company under Russian state-owned Rosatom, has applied for an exclusive prospecting licence to test the feasibility of an in-situ leach mining project near Leonardville.
This type of mining is new to Namibia. It involves dissolving the mineral while it is still in the ground and pumping it to the surface for processing.
According to environmental commissioner Timoteus Mufeti, Namibia does not have the experience or technical expertise to assess the potential environmental impact of this type of mining.
The government has, therefore, requested technical assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who visited Namibia earlier this month and will provide a report to the government in March.
Only then will the state decide whether to grant an environmental clearance certificate for the proposed exploration.
Tibinyane and Mufeti also responded to concerns about the independence of the IAEA.
Tibinyane told reporters that Namibia is a member of the organisation, but the technical report is intended to guide the government’s decision.
“The IAEA does not have power to make decisions on our behalf,” he said.
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