WALVIS BAY – Thousands of workers from the fishing industry, unionists and the general public
who stand strongly opposed to marine phosphate mining on Monday marched to the Ministry of
Environment and Tourism offices in Walvis Bay to hand over a petition in which they denounce seabed mining in Namibia.
The petitioners told New Era that the government will put their livelihood in jeopardy if they allowed
the mooted phosphate mining to go ahead. The fishing industry is the backbone of the laregly industrial
town of Walvis Bay and is the third biggest contributor to the country’s economy.
Speaking on behalf of the petitioners, National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) secretary general Job Munario said it was evident that there are a few individuals willing to bend to satisfy their love for money at the expense of sustainable management.
“But Namibia is not for sale. Our country was fought for through the barrels of guns and is definitely not
for sale,” Munario said . Munario said the attempt by those who are hard at work to bring much needed investment through seabed mining must be rejected and condemned by all Namibians.
Munario explained that the negatives of seabed mining outweigh the positives, the reason it was banned
in countries such as New Zealand and Mexico due to its destructive nature.
Munario said Nambians should continue to make their voices heard on seabed mining to preserve the
country’s natural resources for future generations. The petition was received by the advisor of the
governor of the Erongo Region, Adelheid Kandjala. A similar march is expected to take place in Windhoek today