26 June 2009
Windhoek — Dr Gabi Schneider, director of the Ministry of Mines' Geological Survey, says the journey of the rhino fossil found at Lake Guinas remains a mystery, as people are reluctant to reveal who was behind the illegal transportation of the bone to South Africa.
Nuno Gomes and his crew found the fossil while on a cave diving expedition at Lake Guinas in July 2008. The fossil is estimated to be between 3 and 4 million years old. The artefact was then taken to the Witwatersrand University in South Africa without the knowledge or consent of the relevant Namibian authorities - a move that was illegal.
Under the Heritage Act of 2004, it is illegal to remove a fossil from the country without the consent of the National Heritage Council of Namibia. This Act allows the Heritage Council to delegate the curation of geological items such as fossils and meteorites to the Geological Survey.
According to Schneider, she only came to know of the bone's existence at the beginning of the year. She was watching a German television programme, where a certain Dr Kempf of Wuerzburg University in Germany commented on a film showing the dive at Lake Guinas and the recovery of the fossil.
She then looked for the doctor's address on the Internet and wrote to him asking about the whereabouts of the fossil.
"He told me that he did not know, but that Namibian and South African divers were involved in the recovery. I then reported the issue to the Heritage Council and we contacted the Namibian Underwater Federation (NUF) to find out more, since Dr Kempf had alleged that Namibian divers were involved. Be that as it may, this was the start of a charade, chasing the bone through very secret channels, as nobody wanted to give me some names," said Schneider.
After Schneider raised the issue with the NUF, she was informed that the bone was in South Africa and that it would be sent via courier to Walvis Bay. Nobody was prepared to transport the bone to Windhoek, as this would require a permit and she, therefore, volunteered to collect it in Walvis Bay.
"As the person who received it obviously did not want to disclose his identity, I was told that the bone would be delivered to the Sam Cohen Library in Swakopmund.
This, in itself, was illegal. However, as I was keen to get the fossil to where it belongs, I agreed to collect it at the Library, which I subsequently did. I then brought it back with me to Windhoek, where it is now in our museum in the curation section," she said.
Schneider then tried to establish who was involved in the removal of the fossil and the subsequent transportation to Swakopmund. This lead to a dead end, as the box containing the bone did not have a sender's address or any letter inside when she received it.
Pieter Venter, who was also part of the diving expedition, told the Economist in an earlier interview that he sent the bone to Thinus van Wyk of Protech Welding & Construction in Walvis Bay. Van Wyk, who was the operator of machinery during the dive, has denied this on several occasions.
Despite Dr Kempf's claims, no Namibian divers took part in the cave diving expedition, said Venter.
"It is not correct that Namibian divers joined the South African divers on that particular Guinas dive trip and that there was a dispute regarding safety procedures. The Namibian divers have always cooperated, assisted and hosted South African divers professionally and with Namibian hospitality," he said.
It is an offence to remove or disturb artefacts in any way in terms of the National Heritage Act, without a permit.
"In particular that attitude of the people who found the fossil and then simply took it with them to South Africa, as if we were still a colony and did not have our own scientists is deplorable and should be exposed," said Schneider.
Schneider will report back to the National Heritage Council at its next meeting. Based on this report, the Council will decide on the way forward.
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