Cabinet greenlights mining policy for protected areas

The Cabinet has approved a new national policy to regulate prospecting and mining in protected areas and other environmentally sensitive zones, balancing mineral development with environmental conservation.

The decision, taken during the Cabinet’s 24th meeting held on 28 July, forms part of a series of resolutions minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus announced on Thursday.

“The policy is intended to support economic growth through responsible mining while preventing environmental degradation in vulnerable areas,” the Cabinet decision reads.

The Cabinet has also approved Namibia’s signing of the statute of the African Mineral Development Centre, paving the way for the country’s participation in the African Union agency dedicated to advancing sustainable mineral development across the continent.

Minister of international relations and trade Selma Ashipala-Musavyi has been authorised to sign the statute on behalf of the government before it is submitted to the parliament for ratification.

The Cabinet further noted that the mineral development centre serves as the specialised agency responsible for implementing the African mining vision, an African Union framework aimed at transforming the continent’s mineral wealth through value addition, industrialisation and broader socio-economic development.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also took note of the Namibia University of Science and Technology’s 2019/20 annual report and authorised the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture to table the report in the National Assembly.

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