Mining must drive job creation, youth empowerment and sustainable growth

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah at Rössing Uranium Mine, Arandis, Erongo region, 12 April 2025

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I am grateful to have been invited to visit the Rössing Uranium Mine today to see and to hear from you how the mining sector can strengthen and support the government’s vision of advancing the livelihoods of our people. 

You will recall that following the November 2024 presidential and National Assembly elections, I made it explicitly clear that it will not be business as usual. I have signed a five-year contract with the Namibian people on the basis of the promises we made in the Swapo Party manifesto. 

In order to add to my leadership vision and to deliver on my mandate, I need all the sectors including mining to meet our promises of ‘Unity in Diversity: Natural Resources Beneficiation and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development’.

In the Swapo Party manifesto, we identified natural resources beneficiation as a key catalyst for economic transformation and job creation for our young people. My presence here seeks to underscore that commitment, to see to it that mining transforms the livelihoods of our people by becoming the bedrock on which we can build an industrial and manufacturing base through value addition and beneficiation.

Mining is a sector that contributes immensely to our fiscus. I am convinced that we have not yet exploited the full potential of our mining sector. It is for that reason that we have identified mining in the Swapo Party manifesto implementation plan as the number one critical economic enabler, out of the eight priority areas in the implementation plan.

Let me commend the Rössing Uranium management for your leadership and resilience during the difficult years of the mine, including maintaining the production capacity and sustaining your employees. I welcome the extension on the life of the mine from 2027 to 2036 and its long-term viability. This is in line with the government’s initiative of value addition to sustain development.

This mine has been maintaining corporate social responsibility by taking care of the surrounding communities and practising sustainable safety operations.

Therefore, my visit today provides me with an opportunity to encourage you to continue contributing to the socio-economic development of our country. The mining industry must look after their workers, in terms of a living wage, accommodation, health care and a pension that should enable them to live a dignified life after their productive lives have come to an end.

As a government we want the mining sector to do more in offering sustainable and quality jobs, scholarships, job attachments, training, internships, and funds for young entrepreneurs that can empower our youth and help them build sustainable futures. We want mining companies to invest in the potential of our youth and the local economies where they operate.

We can only uplift communities in a sustainable manner if we create sustainable and skilled jobs that can uplift and strengthen our communities and economy as a whole. That can only happen if the mining industry responds positively to the call of the government to add value to the natural resources in our country.

I urge Rössing Uranium Mine to promote sustainable mining practices that prioritise local economic empowerment and environmental stewardship. The government is committed to working closely with the mining sector to ensure that you operate in a conducive environment where you can thrive.

We in government are under instruction by the people of Namibia to engage the mining industry to be part of value addition and a mining operation like Rössing Uranium also has to play her part. We are asking the mining sector to invest in other sectors of the economy by empowering their workers who are entrepreneurs. 

These programmes will grow the economy and create the jobs we have promised the Namibian people. At the end of this year I must report to Namibians about new jobs that have been created. I am therefore asking the mining sector to work with me in meeting our people’s inspirations.

As a government, we have adopted a policy of a mixed energy policy that I have been emphasising in my campaign statements. Thus, our uranium should be used for peaceful purposes to power Namibia, to develop our nation and the globe.

There is no dream which is too big not to be achieved. Collectively let us start moving towards the nuclear power plant in Namibia and identify potential partnerships to achieve this goal. We need a mix of reliable energy and clean energy to grow our economy and take our people out of poverty.

Nuclear energy is essential and the government will put in effort to make sure the environment is conducive for the mining sector to flourish. These actions will, in the end, assist Namibians in achieving their developmental goals.

In conclusion, I express my gratitude to the Rössing Foundation for its unwavering commitment to the corporate social responsibility and socio-economic development of our nation. Through sustained investment in education, agriculture, health, and community upliftment, the foundation continues to demonstrate the transformative role that responsible industry can play in building a more inclusive and resilient Namibia.

However, I must say there is still room for improvement. Let the residents of Arandis feel they are living in a mining area that is run by people who care about the people who welcome them in their home and their country.

Once again, I thank the management of Rössing Uranium for having given me an opportunity to familiarise myself with your operations. I look forward to working collectively towards a shared prosperous future for Namibia, one where our natural resources serve as a foundation for growth, opportunity and sustainable development.

I thank you.

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