Desie Heita
3 July 2008
Windhoek — Oranjemund is hanging on a thread of an environmental impact assessment on two projects for land-based diamond mining that Namdeb hopes would infuse life and extend the lifespan of the Oranjemund land mining area.
Namdeb has been sounding alarms for the past decade that its land mining operations are drying up. Current estimates for land-based diamond deposits give a lifespan of another 12 years up to 2020, after which it may have to eventually pull out of the Oranjemund land mining area.
The two identified projects are in the current mining area, with the first being inshore within Mining Area 1, covering the beach area, which Namdeb has in the past thought is impossible to mine. The second project covers the entire breadth of Namdeb's seven mining areas from Mining Area 1, including Elizabeth Bay Mine, all the way through to Lüderitz. This project would mine both the beach areas, as well as shallow and mid-water portions of the land.
In total, Namdeb holds nine diamond mining licences covering both land and sea areas along the southern coast of Namibia.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) meetings are scheduled for next week in Oranjemund and Lüderitz. The two projects are currently in pre-feasibility and feasibility phases.
"Namdeb's projected production plan indicates a significant decrease in land production from 2009 as onshore resources near depletion. However, Namdeb is considering a number of new mining projects to extend the life of the mine and boost production figures in their licence areas," Namdeb said in announcing the EIA meetings.
The first project would investigate the use of innovative mining technologies to sample and mine the linear beach areas "which, until recently, have been deemed unmineable due to being extremely exposed to wave action," said Namdeb.
The announcement of the EIA comes after Namdeb's Managing Director, Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi, allayed public anxiety on the future of Oranjemund residents when Namdeb pulls out. Politicians took up the issue further by taking it to the National Assembly. Nonetheless, Zaamwani-Kamwi said Namdeb has long made a commitment to develop Oranjemund into an independent vibrant town council once the land mining operation ceases.
Oranjemund is home to 10000 people.
Namdeb intends to proclaim Oranjemund a town later this year. Steps towards this are at an advanced stage. These include "an integral closure plan to ensure a positive legacy is bequeathed to the town of Oranjemund and the surrounding area".
Oranjemund Town Management Company is currently managing Oranjemund in the absence of a town council.
"Together with the line ministries, we have been working around-the-clock to move towards full proclamation later this year. This initiative brings with it many challenges such as the need to make the town sustainable once diamond mining has ceased," Zaamwani-Kamwi said earlier.
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