Mining sets high goals

DESALINATED water from the Atlantic Ocean will become a reality for the Erongo Region, it was disclosed at a planning conference over the weekend.

A new company, Trekkopje Uranium, which claims to have found huge deposits of uranium ore close to the Trekkopje Mountain some 80 kilometres east of Swakopmund, will be the key implementer of the project, Joseph Iitha, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said on Sunday. In his presentation on projects planned by his Ministry for the third National Development Plan (NDP3), Iitha told the conference that the project would entail the construction of a 1,2-kilometre pipeline from the ocean to the future desalination plant north of Swakopmund and a new 45-km pipeline to the proposed mine.”The Ministry will also draft a uranium policy, which is necessary due to the increased interest in uranium mining in Namibia shown by investors,” Iitha said.”We also plan to have a mining charter …by 2009 with regard to the empowerment of previously disadvantaged Namibians.One of its goals will be that 15 per cent of all ownership in mine companies is to change into the hands of previously disadvantaged Namibians by 2011.”In his presentation on projects planned by his Ministry for the third National Development Plan (NDP3), Iitha told the conference that the project would entail the construction of a 1,2-kilometre pipeline from the ocean to the future desalination plant north of Swakopmund and a new 45-km pipeline to the proposed mine.”The Ministry will also draft a uranium policy, which is necessary due to the increased interest in uranium mining in Namibia shown by investors,” Iitha said.”We also plan to have a mining charter …by 2009 with regard to the empowerment of previously disadvantaged Namibians.One of its goals will be that 15 per cent of all ownership in mine companies is to change into the hands of previously disadvantaged Namibians by 2011.”