Africa-Press – Namibia. KUNENE regional governor Marius Sheya on Monday defended a plan to evict some residents of the Epupa constituency to make way for the N$23 billion 600 MW Baynes Hydropower project.
Defending the binational project spearheaded by Namibia and Angola, Sheya called those against it counterproductive, urging them to come forth with solutions.
“A lobby group has attempted to influence the community at Opuwo to oppose this binational project for various reasons. Those who have motives in blocking the project should come forth and present the issue as to why they think the hydro dam at Epupa should not be built.
“It is counterproductive just to complain without offering solutions,” he said during his keynote address at the opening of the Baynes Hydro Power Project stakeholder conference at Swakopmund.
Some community members at Opuwo fear the development would destroy livestock pasture, ancestral graves, and livelihoods, and displace them to an alien environment.
The issue has been ongoing for over a decade now, but the government maintains it is engaging the affected communities through the governor’s office and traditional authorities.
“That is our land, we were born there and we rule it. Our land will die out should they build the dam. Our forefathers’ graves [are there], our wildlife and people still reside there,” Mutjindika Kapika, who represents the group, said last week.
Sheya said with proper research and management, the impacts of the project on the communities and the environment could be minimised.
“Big hydro dams have been successfully built across the continent and the world. We should learn from them as to how they have dealt with the issues,” he said.
He said more stakeholder meetings would be held next year.
According to him, the Kunene Regional Council is expecting “significant” sustainable development in the region, as a project of this magnitude should have the potential to stimulate economic growth and trade between Namibia and Angola.
“The local economy will benefit from the provision of goods and services. We need to look at the bigger picture,” he said.
Maria Amakali of the Permanent Joint Technical Commission of the Kunene River Basin at the occasion said the Baynes Hydropower Project is an important strategic project for the two governments’ energy ministries, which could see the two nations’ power utilities become developers, off-takers of the generated power, and transmission network providers.
Amakali said the project’s financing is expected to be concluded by 2025 – nearly two decades since the idea was introduced.
The director of the Angolan ministry of energy and water, Pierre Kiala, said the project is important for Angola as it would generate more power and improve the socio-economic development of the two countries.
It would also contribute to electricity supply of the Southern African Development Community region.
“The government of Angola is fully engaged to take all the necessary legal and financial action in supporting the development of the project,” Kiala said.
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