The Ministry of Mines and Energy has given mining company Xinfeng Investment permission to export 6 000 tonnes of unprocessed lithium ore.
This decision was made during a recent meeting between senior police officials and ministry staff.
The decision came two weeks after mining commissioner Isabella Chirchir requested the police to stop Xinfeng’s trucks from transporting unprocessed lithium ore from Kohero Mine near Omaruru to the rest of Namibia or beyond.
In a letter dated 1 November, addressed to police inspector general Joseph Shikongo, the executive director of mines and energy, Bryan Eiseb, gave permission for the export of 6 000 tonnes of unprocessed lithium ore out of Namibia.
“We thus grant permission for the transport of 6 000 tonnes of crushed lithium ore from Kohero Mine to the Walvis Bay port. This permission remains subject to export permit conditions and validity,” Eiseb said.
He said the decision follows a series of discussions and investigations involving senior personnel from both the police and the ministry.
According to him, the ministry became aware of Xinfeng being involved in the transportation of crushed lithium ore from Kohero Mine, authorised under mining licence ML243, to Walvis Bay.
However, Xinfeng did not possess the necessary transport and export permits, despite holding a mining licence for such minerals.
“Upon receiving this information, the mining commissioner requested Nampol at Omaruru to stop all trucks transporting lithium ore from Kohero Mine to Walvis Bay port on behalf of Xinfeng. This was done to prevent potential violation of the Minerals Act,” said Eiseb.
He said in subsequent discussions with lawyers representing Long Fire Investments he informed the mining commissioner that Xinfeng was not transporting lithium ore from Kohero Mine.
Eiseb said the lawyers clarified that the lithium ore in question was mined at Long Fire’s mining claims in the Uis area, which are owned by a Namibian entity.
Xinfeng Investment CC has an agreement with Long Fire to transport lithium ore mined under their claims to Kohero Mine for crushing and subsequent export from Walvis Bay’s port.
Eiseb said it was revealed that the Lithium ore crusher at Long Fire’s mining claims had been non-operational since December 2022, leading to an agreement to utilise the crusher at Kohero Mine.
“This resulted in the parties (Long Fire and Xinfeng) to agree and use the lithium ore crusher at Kohero Mine. Long Fire was informed that a removal permit is required to transport lithium ore from the mining claims to Kohero Mine. The company has now applied for such a permit,” he said.
Following these discussions, a team of mining inspectors was dispatched to Kohero Mine to verify the information and assess the quantities of stockpiled lithium ore on site, Eiseb said.
He said the inspection confirmed the presence of approximately 8 000 tonnes of lithium ore, transported from the Long Fire mining claims, crushed at Kohero Mine, and awaiting transportation to Walvis Bay’s port.
An additional 19 442 tonnes of crushed lithium ore had already been transported to the port by Long Fire.
“Long Fire informed the mining commissioner that it ordered a vessel able to export 26 000 tonnes of lithium ore. The ministry is considering non-compliance for not having a transport permit by Long Fire,” he said.
This has led to the ministry to granting the export permit for 30 000 tonnes of lithium ore, which is set to expire on 15 December.
The permission for the transport of lithium ore is, however, subject to compliance with the export permit conditions and their validity.
This decision to export unprocessed lithium ore comes after president Hage Geingob told the Namibia-European Union (EU) Business Summit that Namibia would no longer allow the exportation of minerals in raw form.
He said the ban aims to improve the sustainability of the extractive industry and to develop local processing, refining, recovery, and recycling capacity.
This announcement, however, requires changes to the Minerals Act.
Last week Swapo backbencher Natangue Ithete said Geingob’s statement, if not formulated into a policy, would remain a statement only.
Erongo police acting commander Tobie Gerber confirmed that the police is no longer monitoring trucks from Kohero Mine.
Swapo Party Youth League secretary Ephraim Nekongo has said the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources is currently seized with the matter.
The idea was welcomed by many, including opposition parties, although they remain skeptical about its implementation.
Former parliamentarian Anton von Wietersheim said the problem is implementation without disruption, such as the breach of contract, loss of employment, and loss of income for businesses and the state.
He said the country requires confident investors, skilled labour, and political will as well guidance to enforce the ban.
Rally for Democracy and Progress president Mike Kavekotora says the statement should have been made with measures in place to back it up, ensuring a proper implementation strategy.
