UIS – The Uis community is demanding immediate and decisive government action against Chinese mining firm Xinfeng over the alleged illegal destruction of the environment, and desecrating cultural sites.
The residents want Xinfeng executives arrested and held accountable for alleged reckless and illegal mining practices in the area. A high-level investigation into Xinfeng’s operations is underway, following an outcry from enraged conservancies and local communities in Uis.
They have accused the government of failing to enforce its own mining laws, and allowing Xinfeng to turn their town and surrounding villages into a dumpsite.
The frustrated residents expressed anger over the weekend, accusing the mines ministry of ignoring the blatant destruction caused by Xinfeng. They cited the plunder of natural resources, damage to conservation areas, and the desecration of ancestral graves.
“If the government doesn’t act, we will take matters into our own hands.
Imagine how Namibians in China would be treated if they did exactly what the Chinese are doing here,” community members charged.
Lithium, one of the most lucrative minerals today, is vital for lithium-ion batteries for powering electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and consumer electronics. There are currently 70 mines around Uis, with only two – Andrada and Xinfeng – in operation.
Investigation
Despite being ordered to cease operations on 16 November by mining commissioner Isabella Kandjii-Chirchir, Xinfeng continued to mine regardless.
The company owns an Exclusive Prospecting Licence (EPL) which allows exploration, but not mining.
However, it has allegedly extracted resources far beyond the limits of exploration.
Kandjii-Chirchir declined to comment on the matter, but confirmed that an investigation is ongoing. Uis community activist Jimmy Areseb told New Era that the government is turning a blind eye while the country is being robbed of its natural resources. He said this is a massive operation that could see Xinfeng benefiting millions while the government is reluctant and not making an effort to stop these illegal activities. He also accused the local leadership and the Daure Daman Traditional Authority of not doing enough to ensure that mines operating in their jurisdiction comply with the law.
“How is it that no one has been arrested or questioned? Had any of us entered their premises, they would have called the police on us. The Chinese have more rights over our land than the inhabitants born here. Why is the government not acting?” Areseb asked.
Evidence
During a visit to the illegal mining site last week, the New Era crew observed three fully-loaded trucks leaving the site and entering Xinfeng’s premises. Video footage taken by New Era and community members at the weekend confirmed ongoing mining activities, despite the company’s claim that it had ceased the illegal operations.
Several ancestral graves were spotted near the illegal mining site, along with abandoned equipment belonging to small-scale miners. Workers admitted that illegal mining had been going on since November last year, contradicting Xinfeng’s statement that they had only been mining for five months before shutting down.
Denial
Xinfeng representative Frank Li told New Era that the company had not received a written directive from the ministry to stop operations. “The mining commissioner only gave a verbal instruction during an inspection on 16 November. We completely stopped operations on 10 December after a meeting with the ministry,” he said.
Li claimed the company needed time to wind down operations, citing that over 180 employees and equipment were on-site.
However, trucks continued ferrying ore from the mine at the weekend.
Li added that the EPL for the site belongs to Xinfeng. They applied for a mining licence in 2022, which has not yet been approved by the ministry. This has caused frustration as the company, despite the current low lithium prices, wants to continue operating.
“We only have an exploration licence, and not a mining licence,” he noted.
He said the ore has finished in their current legal open pit, and they want to continue extracting ore from the Ringmen open pit, if granted the required paperwork by the ministry. Furthermore, Xinfeng’s managing director Xie Yiming urged the government to speedily approve their mining licence and export permits for them to resume operations.
“Interruptions are expensive because they drive up costs, especially in a fluctuating market where prices appear to be in a freefall,” he observed.
The company stated that if the permits are granted, approximately 80 drivers could be employed to facilitate the export of processed lithium concentrate before the end of the year.
Authority
Additionally, Herman Naruseb from the Daure Daman Traditional Authority said they are duty-bound to welcome sustainable development projects in their authority, with hopes of bringing tangible economic growth to local communities.
He said mining is part of that.
“Our mandate, therefore, ends with giving consent to those seeking EPLs with the ministry as part of our statutory requirements on land use, as established in the Traditional Authorities Act 25 of 2000,” he said.
He added that it is up to the ministry to follow up with regular site visits and inspections to ensure that mining requirements and lawful regulations are being adhered to.
“This does not prohibit the inhabitants or the traditional authority from reporting suspicions of illegal activities to the ministry if they take place. Our mandate is limited to giving only a consent letter for an EPL, and issues pertaining to mining are agreed to with the ministry. We also advise the explorers to leave the area in a pristine condition,” he continued. The traditional authority was furthermore under the impression that Xinfeng was only exploring, and never knew about any of the alleged illegal activities.
“We do not visit mining sites, assuming that further licensing for mining could only be granted by the line ministry. Whenever a dispute arises, as happened in the past in the same area, we request the ministry to intervene and assess the situation,” he said.