Tensions mount in mining vs conservation clash

The battle between mining and conservation tourism continues to play out over the dry, rocky plains of the Sorris Sorris conservancy both in the Windhoek High Court and the boardroom of the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC).At stake are promising developments that could generate significant mining income from increasing global demand, in contrast to preserving the environment where the endangered black rhinos roam.Meanwhile, community-driven tourism and their private sector partners are fighting to maintain their symbiotic relationship with the rhinos. "Get rid of us, and the rhinos will be gone, along with the court case. Mining will continue," Tristan Cowley, managing director of Ultimate Safaris, said last week in response to the NaCC&#039;s 24 January letter to the management of the Sorris Sorris conservancy, instructing them to terminate the contract with the commercial operator within 30 days."Sorris Sorris is hereby advised to terminate the agreement within 30 days," reads the letter seen by Network Media Hub (NMH), concerning the contract between the conservancy and Ultimate Safaris, which outlines that Camp Doros has exclusive use of part of the Doros Joint Management Area for 25 years. The NaCC also rejected a similar contract regarding the planned Doros Luxury Resort in the area. According to Cowley, this would fundamentally close the business.Dire implications Cowley told NMH that fourteen other lodges within a 30 km radius of Camp Doros have similar contracts and that the NaCC&#039;s decision has implications for all agreements between conservancies and private tourism enterprises, which are also based on the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism&#039;s chosen template. "This has massive implications," he said. The NaCC investigated the relationship between Ultimate Safaris and the conservancies involved in the joint management area, including Doro !Nawa, Uibasen Twyfelfontein and Sorris Sorris, following a complaint made by Timoteus Mashuna.Mashuna is one of the respondents involved in the High Court dispute over environmental clearances and mining licenses. The application to nullify mining rights was brought by Ultimate Safaris, Doro !Nawas, Uibasen Twyfelfontein, and the #Aodaman Traditional Authority. High Court judge Anne-Doris Hans-Kaumbi upheld a court order last month to suspend mining activities until the granting of the environmental clearance and licenses is clarified. The hearing continues 6 March.Two sides to be heard Meanwhile, the director of parks and wildlife in the environment ministry, Bennett Kahuure, confirmed that his office had been approached by the conservancies for guidance regarding the NaCC&#039;s directive. Kahuure said the ministry promotes a contract template and that the ministry’s executive director is involved in the matter and will engage all relevant parties, including the NaCC.On Wednesday, NaCC spokesperson Dina //Gowases said the parties can still approach the commission in writing to present their side of the case. "The letter was sent only to the parties as part of assessing the complaint and the evidence," she said. "They can either take the proposed steps or challenge our determination. In that case, we may create a public forum to gather stakeholders. After that, if there is a violation, the determination will be sent to our board for approval," she added. A Competition Commission determination can further be contested with the trade and industrial development minister and the minister’s decision can be challenged in the High Court, she explained. "Our determination process is not complete yet; there is still the option for written submissions," she said. According to Cowley, the latest twist in the fight over the rocky rhino territory follows threats made against opponents of the mining development: "We were told they will use their contacts to make life difficult for us," he claimed.

Tensions mount in mining vs conservation clash

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-19

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Tensions mount in mining vs conservation clash

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-19

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