LPM warns against oil exclusion

Landless People’s Movement (LPM) member of parliament Henny Seibeb said while they are delighted with the discovery of a third oil well off the coast of Namibia, they are disappointed that regional councils and local authorities in southern Namibia are excluded from related talks and potential opportunities.Seibeb delivered his contribution to the 2023–2024 national budget in parliament on Tuesday.He also argued that LPM, the dominant political leadership in the ||Karas Region, should be consulted and respected as the custodian of the region when it comes to talks about the oil discovery and deals that are likely to emanate from the resource."There is so much secrecy and exclusion as far as oil discoveries are concerned. Recently, the British high commissioner to Namibia, Charles Moore, gave his unsolicited views about oil and gas discoveries in Namibia, calling on Namibia to learn from them. What an imperialist imposter! But this signals that Namibia might be the next battleground of imperialists and neo-colonialists over our oil resources," Seibeb warned.Rule of lawSeibeb also directed his attention to the central procurement board of Namibia and other public enterprises, where he believes corruption is deeply entrenched and has likely also spread to the diamond and general mineral resources sectors of Namibia.He told finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi that amending investment laws and establishing new institutions such as the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) would be of little help."I can guarantee you that corruption, policy inconsistency and weak rule of law are also major obstacles to foreign direct investment (FDl). Just look at the continued underfunding of the anti-corruption commission (ACC) and look at yourself in the mirror whether you have allocated a fair amount to fighting corruption in Namibia," Seibeb said.Stable environmentHe added: "I guess you are going to be proud of yourself in the future when all available resources are looted, including human kidneys, livers and lungs, by the evil, corrupt criminal cabal working hand in glove with top public servants and the procurement board."Seibeb argued further that policy inconsistency is "even more important than the problem of corruption. Investors seek predictable environments in which they can make long-term business and projections. There is so much neopatrimonialism and exclusion going on in the business environment in Namibia."jemima@namibiansun.com

LPM warns against oil exclusion

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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LPM warns against oil exclusion

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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