The discovery of high-grade tin reserves at Goantagab mine in the Sorris Sorris Conservancy near Khorixas, has sparked expectations of job opportunities for community members.
Goantagab chief operations officer David Tomas on Friday during a media tour said the company will create opportunities for residents.
It is developing the mine in partnership with South African mining firm Birca Mining, he said.
"We are sitting on massive reserves which could give us a life of mine of up to 50 years or more, and we are primed to start mining operations," he said.
Tomas said since August this year, the company had spent almost N$20 million on initial operations, including studies of estimated ore reserves and bringing equipment and workers on site.
Operations are already in full swing with about 20 people already employed at the mine.
About 150 are expected to be employed when the mine becomes fully operational and more as it develops.
Tomas says the mine will draw most of the workers from the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority, under which the Sorris Sorris Conservancy falls.
The mine had more superior grade reserves than that mined at Andrada Mine (formerly AfriTin) at Uis in the Erongo region, he said.
The current tin price is US$28 750 (about N$520 000) per metric tonne, but this is expected to rise to about US$33 060 (about N$600 000) per tonne by the end of this quarter, amid the continuously pessimistic outlook on demand from China, according to Trading Economics.
Describing the mine as an asset for Namibia, Birca Mining chief operations officer Bennie van Niekerk said it will make a massive contribution to the country's economy over the next 50 years.
He said because the mine is situated in a conservancy, a processing plant will not be set up. This will keep noise levels as low as possible, he said.
"We will send our tin to Andrada Mine at Uis for processing, and this would also boost their operations as they will have more ore to process," Van Niekerk said.
Tomas said Goantagab mine's operations had been delayed by a pending court case in which tourism operator Ultimate Safaris has been opposing the mine's development, fearing it would disturb the habitat of the highly endangered black rhino.
Over the years the area has been mined by artisanal miners who abandoned their claims a few years ago.
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"They [Ultimate Safaris] have tried to frustrate us and influence the community to stop our workers drawing potable water from a government borehole. However, we have plans to rehabilitate an old borehole near the mine or drill a new one," he said.
Tomas said this could be a ploy to make the Ministry of Mines and Energy cancel the company's exploration licence if no tangible development takes place within three years.
The local community, however, expressed support for the mining operations, hoping for job opportunities.
"The miners and the tourism operator must find ways to co-exist for the benefit of the community through more job opportunities, as climate change also threatens tourism," said senior counsellor for the Daure Daman Traditional Authority Herman Naruseb.
This was echoed by Sorris Sorris Conservancy vice chairperson Rhodella Eichas, who said both the mining and the tourism sector must help uplift the community.
Resident Magdalena Hendricks (64) said her pension was not enough to share with her unemployed sons and their children.
"This mine is God's answer to our prayers," she says, while strapping a two-year-old grandchild to her back.
- email: matthew@namibian.com.na
