Africa-Press – Namibia. THE URANIUM One Group aims to invest between N$5 billion and N$8,5 billion (between US$300 million to US$500 million) in the Namibian economy.
The investment will be made over a period of time, dating back three years, when the company first started drilling and exploring for uranium at farm Tripoli, close to Leonardville in the Omaheke region.
The lifespan of the project is meant to be 25 years from now. However, Uranium One has had its Exclusive Prospecting Licence (EPL) for 10 years.
According to the company’s project manager, Kirill Egorov, Uranium One has invested about N$855 million (US$50 million) in the domestic economy to date.
Meanwhile, there has been controversy surrounding the company, owned by Headsprings Investments, with farmers saying it is not being truthful about how the drilling would affect the Stampriet aquifer in the area.
This comes after Uranium One said its geologists had identified promising uranium deposits of the Kazakh type in the Stampriet basin, and the deposits could be developed via the most advanced environmentally viable in-situ leaching (ISL) method.
The farmers’ complaints led to the company’s permits being cancelled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform last year
Speaking at a familiarisation tour at the site on Wednesday, Egorov maintained that in-situ leaching remains a safe method to drill for uranium and does not contaminate ground water.
Deputy mines and energy minister Kornelia Shilunga said when speaking of factors such as contamination, the ministry and the government should trust the mining companies that operate in the country, and society should trust its government, which issues various permits.
She said the mines and energy ministry is responsible for issuing various mining licences, alongside the environment ministry, which is responsible for environmental management, and when mining is happening, conducting environmental impact assessments.
“We have to remember that we have a responsible government that would always want to make sure that whatever happens, is in the interest of society. Therefore, you must not in anyway be feeling that the government is not doing justice to its society,” she said.
Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate acknowledged the farmers’ fears, but stressed that any type of mining company should ensure that it is responsible, taking into account the ecosystem and the environmental impact its activities may have.
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