RP accuses Headspring of influencing communities

Headspring Investments, a Russian-owned state subsidiary of Rosatom, is accused of influencing communities to accept the mine in the Omaheke region amid concerns over the contamination of the Stampriet aquifer.

The accusations were made by Republican Party president Henk Mudge at a press conference yesterday.

The company, which started exploration in 2011, had its drilling initially cancelled in 2021 due to non-compliance by the then Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform.

The company is using a mining method called in-situ leaching (ISL), which involves injecting chemical solutions directly into the aquifer to dissolve uranium and then pumping the resulting liquid to the surface.

“There is credible evidence that this company has actively sought to influence communities, political figures and public opinion through material incentives. Aminuis farmers burned Christmas gifts reportedly distributed by Uranium One – T-shirts, perfumes, radios and hats – because they refused to be bought. Journalists have also written promotional articles of the mining,” Mudge said.

He questioned the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, which produced a report recommending that exploration continue without consulting the Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association (Sauma), despite Sauma’s years of formal engagement.

He said the Orange-Senqu River Commission has formally stated that ISL mining poses a serious contamination risk, because the Stampriet system is hydraulically connected to both the Orange-Senqu Basin and the Kalahari-Karoo Sandstone Boundary Aquifer.

Any contamination, he said, could spread both vertically and laterally into water systems, endangering every community that depends on the shared transboundary resources.

“The uranium ore body near Leonardville, according to Rosatom, contains enough uranium for a 25-year mining operation producing 3 000 tonnes per year, at an estimated investment of US$500 million (about N$8.23 billion). Rosatom gets the uranium and what does Namibia get? A handful of temporary jobs, a royalty percentage negotiated from a position of weakness and an aquifer that no scientific process in the world has ever been able to restore to its original condition after ISL mining?” Mudge said.

He added that Namibia is already a uranium-producing nation, with mines such as Rössing and Husab in the Erongo region using conventional methods in geological formations that do not intersect drinking water aquifers.

He said there is no need to extract uranium from the only permanent drinking water system serving that part of the country, adding that the economic argument does not hold.

Mudge said an aquifer that generates more than N$1.1 billion annually in agricultural output, year after year, decade after decade, is worth more than a 25-year mining lease.

Headspring, however, refutes the allegations, stating that the project is based on a strictly scientific approach and relies on advanced in‑situ recovery technologies, which are used at around 60% of uranium deposits worldwide.

These technologies, it says, ensure the full protection of aquifers, including the Stampriet aquifer, in line with the most stringent international environmental standards.

“We emphasise that all stages of the project’s implementation are carried out under strict regulatory oversight, with transparent engagement with authorities, local communities and experts,” says the company in a statement released yesterday.

The company calls for an end to the ongoing dissemination of misleading information and for a shift towards constructive engagement that supports responsible resource management and the sustainable development of Namibia.

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