Staff Reporter
THE Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association (SAUMA) has called for a hold on newly announced research drilling for the proposed Wings uranium project until the government publishes the authorisation and its safeguards are independently assessed. The association says further investigations do not prove that uranium extraction is safe for the Stampriet aquifer, which communities, towns and farmers depend on.
In a media release issued on 3 November, SAUMA called on government to disclose the full authorisation granted to Headspring Investments for additional research boreholes, including the activities and locations covered, the duration and all conditions attached.
Headspring has said the research phase will not involve reagents and that a revised application for pilot testing will follow. SAUMA said this does not amount to approval for chemical leaching or establish that the proposed extraction method is safe.
The association said it remains opposed to in-situ leach uranium extraction in the Stampriet Artesian Basin, citing concerns about groundwater contamination and its potentially lasting effects on water users.
SAUMA also called for the release of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission report and relevant recommendations, as well as the research programme, available baseline water-quality data, aquifer assessments and groundwater protection measures.
It said the public should be informed about how boreholes will be constructed, sealed and monitored, which authorities will oversee the work, and what conditions would trigger a suspension of drilling.
The association further called for meaningful public participation before any decision on pilot extraction and for government to account for consultation with Botswana and South Africa about possible effects on the shared aquifer.
SAUMA said it had requested an urgent meeting with the responsible ministries and affected community representatives, along with a timetable for releasing the requested information.
It urged government not to authorise chemical injection or pilot uranium recovery while groundwater safety concerns remain unresolved.
Former Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Calle Schlettwein has also raised concerns about the proposed in-situ mining project in a social media post.
Schlettwein said injecting mining effluent into a clean aquifer would contaminate the groundwater resource, which he said is prohibited under Namibia’s Water Resources Management Act.
He questioned the objectivity of allowing a prospective polluter to assess its own environmental impact, saying credible assessments require independent research by impartial experts.
Schlettwein warned that local communities would bear the consequences if contamination occurred. He said government policy should prioritise access to clean water for Namibian communities over the profits of foreign mining operations.
SAUMA said the communities and water users who depend on the aquifer deserve full disclosure, independent scrutiny and enforceable safeguards.
PICTURED: Chairperson Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association (SAUMA), Wolfgang Teichert. Photo: SAUMA
