Contrary to claims that there is illegal mining of lithium in Karibib, the town’s mayor Davey van Wyk has said he does not understand why the police are arresting residents for picking up stones.

With lithium mining booming globally, there have been activities described as illegal mining of precious stones which contain lithium in Karibib, near the railway station.

The activities of residents flocking to the site started some three weeks ago, which prompted the police to intervene. This led to some residents having been arrested, including a prominent pastor in the town.

The police acted on a complaint by the company licensed to mine lithium in the area. Contacted for comment, Erongo regional police commander Nikolaus Kupembona confirmed that some people have been arrested following complaints laid against them.

The commissioner specifically mentioned a case opened by Lepidico Mining, which holds an 80% interest in the Karibib project, located within the Karibib Pegmatite Belt. 

“We are investigating the cases of illegal mining laid by Lepidico Mining. We are not there to arrest people randomly. We arrested a number of people, but I am not aware of people arrested for picking up stones,” he explained.

Asked what charges these people face after Lepidico came forth, Kupembona said “we can’t disclose information to a third party.”

The mayor yesterday confirmed that residents, especially the unemployed youth, flock to a site near the station, where they pick up precious stones and sell them to make a living.

He is, however, adamant that there is no illegal mining in the town by residents as the stones are not deep underground, and can easily be dug up.

Van Wyk explained that Karibib used to have a lithium mine many years ago. The lithium used to be transported by rail, and in the process, the stones used to fall off the trains.

“Now that lithium is booming, everyone is digging and looking for these stones near the railways. These stones are not even 10cm deep. I was there myself, and I don’t understand why the police are arresting the people. I advised the police to take up the issue with TransNamib, who is the owner of the land where these stones are. As a council, we can’t go and chase people away because it’s not our land. These residents are not mining; they are just picking stones,” he maintained.

The mayor said once the residents collect these stones, they go and find buyers, who pay them anything from as little as N$4 to N$15 per kilogramme. According to him, it is not such a lucrative business because one needs tonnes to fetch good money.

“These residents are not causing any health hazards. If TransNamib feels it is illegal, they should fence off the area and put up security. But TransNamib didn’t even complain. I don’t know under whose instructions the police are arresting the residents for picking up stones,” the mayor reiterated.

Lepidico could not be reached for comment. TransNamib spokesperson Abigail Raubenheimer was not available for comment by the time of going to press. Lithium is used in the batteries of laptops and cell phones, as well as in the glass and ceramics industry. An important growth driver is its use in the batteries of electric vehicles, which is all the rage at present.