Zambezi governor Lawrence Sampofu has appealed to the Zambezi region’s residents to stop resisting development and embrace a critical mineral discovery announced yesterday.
Speaking at the announcement, Sampofu said the discovery will bring about much-needed employment opportunities and boost the region’s economy.
The preliminary exploration, done by Zita Dias Diamond Resources, has found aluminum, silicone, phosphorus, sulfur, chloride, potassium, calcium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper and tantalum.
These critical minerals were found along the stretch from Kamenga to Nukwa and Batubaja.
“We must now get investors on board to support the extensive drilling process to quantify the 15 critical minerals discovered in the region.
“The collective support we seek in affording the company extensive resource definition will elevate Namibia as one of the top potential suppliers of these critical minerals that are significant in energy transition, artificial intelligence, and other enabling future technologies,” the governor said.
He called on enterprising companies and investors to participate in the next stage of pursuing these discoveries.
The governor said he and Zita Diamond Company employees endured threats and insults during the course of the exploration, because some residents were hampering this development.
The police had to be called in for protection just to complete the exploration process, he said.
“Locals who are busy resisting development in the region are not doing it on their own accord, but are being influenced by those who are educated.
“These educated people are a problem as they are misleading the old people in making them believe we are taking away their land whenever there are plans for development in their areas.
“Those who are educated do not want development and unity in this region. We are still fighting each other in this region while other regions are developing. We cannot eat land, so we need to develop it to bring about the much-needed development,” Sampofu said.
The owner of Zita Dias Diamond Resources, Zita Dias, said as a resident of the region, she takes pride in having been part of initiating a discovery that would enable the region to explore mining opportunities.
“I invested the whole of my hard-earned pension in the exploration process and the acquisition of the exclusive prospecting licence (EPL 6952) with no mining experience.
“However, with the support of my team, regional leaders, traditional authorities and others, I have seen that our investment was not in vain.
“I would like to appeal to potential investors and stakeholders to come with us on our journey to ensure we open mineral mines in the region,” she said.
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