Canadian oil and gas company, ReconAfrica, is currently negotiating with a Kavango East resident, who sued the company for allegedly illegally drilling in a crop field that a family has owned for 53 years.

The parties, through their lawyers, informed Windhoek High Court judge Eileen Rakow that they were “in the process of settlement and are considering counter offers that were made”.

According to the joint status report, Recon made a settlement offer to Andreas Sinonge. However, he responded to them with a counter offer that the oil company is considering.

The court postponed the matter to 13 June for a status hearing. The parties were ordered to file a joint status report on the outcome of the negotiations no later than 8 June.

In the suit, Sinonge’s family claims the company illegally drilled on their land and in the process damaged it.

The suit is also against ReconAfrica’s partner National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor), the minister of mines, the minister of land reform, the minister of environment and tourism, as well as the Shambyu Traditional Authority.

The land to which the family has customary rights to has been in the family for 53 years and has been used for residential and farming purposes.

In December 2020, ReconAfrica allegedly started drilling activities on the land. Sinonge claims that he never agreed nor signed his rights land away. 

He also claims that none of the respondents made contact with him or the family to ask for permission to carry out exploration activities on land.

He asserts that he has no other land on which he and his family can occupy, and that ReconAfrica has decimated the natural resources and forest. 

Sinonge wants the court to order ReconAfrica to restore the family land. 

Yuri Perez Martinez, ReconAfrica’s deputy general manager, has denied the allegations by Sinonge. He said the company has not disposed of his land or any other community members, and the allegations are unfounded. 

He said Sinonge in December 2020 was aware that ReconAfrica was allocated a portion of a communal land in the area of Mbabi in Kavango East by the Shambyu Traditional Authority. 

According to him, they have met and fulfilled all the requirements for lawful exploration in Namibia. 

The company has been defending itself against non-governmental organisations acting on behalf of community forest and conservancy organisations from the Kavango regions, demanding that it stop its exploration activities in the area.

- mamakali@nepc.com.na