President calls on mines to empower youth, ensure fair returns
Industry must ensure ‘dignified’ lives of workers
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called on Namibia's mining sector to urgently align itself with government's development agenda by accelerating local beneficiation.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged mining companies to translate resource wealth into tangible benefits for the country’s workforce, its youth and local communities.
Her call, made during an official visit to Rössing Uranium Mine on Friday, centred on employment equity, youth empowerment, value addition and fair returns to the Namibian people.
“It shall not be business as usual,” the president declared, citing her electoral mandate following the November 2024 elections and pledging to uphold the promises outlined in the Swapo manifesto.
“We identified natural resources beneficiation as a key catalyst for economic transformation and job creation for our young people.”
She called on the mining industry to serve not only as an economic engine but as a driver of social development and national dignity – especially for the people working within it.
“The mining industry must look after their workers in terms of a living wage, accommodation, healthcare and a pension that should enable them to live a dignified life after their productive lives have come to an end,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
While commending Rössing’s recent extension of mine operations from 2027 to 2036, the president urged broader reforms, with particular attention to how mining profits are distributed and reinvested in human capital.
“We want mining companies to invest in the potential of our youth and the local economies where they operate,” she said.
Uplift workers
This includes expanding access to internships, vocational training, scholarships and financial support for youth-led businesses.
“We can only uplift communities in a sustainable manner if we create sustainable and skilled jobs that can uplift and strengthen our communities and economy as a whole,” she added.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also emphasised that new job creation must be measurable and results-oriented.
“At the end of this year, I must report to Namibians about new jobs that have been created. I am therefore asking the mining sector to work with me in meeting our people’s aspirations,” she urged.
Steve Galloway, chairperson of the Rössing Uranium board of directors, welcomed government’s focus on fair resource governance.
“It is appropriate that Namibia’s resource endowment enjoys the attention which the new Cabinet is according it and to the rightful ownership claims by the Namibian people,” he said.
He addressed the longstanding debate over Namibia’s 'government take' – the share of profits and rents that accrue to the state.
“This resource rent must be fair to the resource owners, the Namibian people and to the investors whose financial and other capitals are deployed in Namibia,” he said, adding that stakeholder consultation and global benchmarking are key to achieving a balanced outcome.
Galloway described the last five years under the mine’s new majority shareholder, China National Nuclear Corporation, as among the best in the company’s 49-year history. Rössing, he said, is committed to engaging with government to craft “mutually beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders in a win-win format”.
Her call, made during an official visit to Rössing Uranium Mine on Friday, centred on employment equity, youth empowerment, value addition and fair returns to the Namibian people.
“It shall not be business as usual,” the president declared, citing her electoral mandate following the November 2024 elections and pledging to uphold the promises outlined in the Swapo manifesto.
“We identified natural resources beneficiation as a key catalyst for economic transformation and job creation for our young people.”
She called on the mining industry to serve not only as an economic engine but as a driver of social development and national dignity – especially for the people working within it.
“The mining industry must look after their workers in terms of a living wage, accommodation, healthcare and a pension that should enable them to live a dignified life after their productive lives have come to an end,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
While commending Rössing’s recent extension of mine operations from 2027 to 2036, the president urged broader reforms, with particular attention to how mining profits are distributed and reinvested in human capital.
“We want mining companies to invest in the potential of our youth and the local economies where they operate,” she said.
Uplift workers
This includes expanding access to internships, vocational training, scholarships and financial support for youth-led businesses.
“We can only uplift communities in a sustainable manner if we create sustainable and skilled jobs that can uplift and strengthen our communities and economy as a whole,” she added.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also emphasised that new job creation must be measurable and results-oriented.
“At the end of this year, I must report to Namibians about new jobs that have been created. I am therefore asking the mining sector to work with me in meeting our people’s aspirations,” she urged.
Steve Galloway, chairperson of the Rössing Uranium board of directors, welcomed government’s focus on fair resource governance.
“It is appropriate that Namibia’s resource endowment enjoys the attention which the new Cabinet is according it and to the rightful ownership claims by the Namibian people,” he said.
He addressed the longstanding debate over Namibia’s 'government take' – the share of profits and rents that accrue to the state.
“This resource rent must be fair to the resource owners, the Namibian people and to the investors whose financial and other capitals are deployed in Namibia,” he said, adding that stakeholder consultation and global benchmarking are key to achieving a balanced outcome.
Galloway described the last five years under the mine’s new majority shareholder, China National Nuclear Corporation, as among the best in the company’s 49-year history. Rössing, he said, is committed to engaging with government to craft “mutually beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders in a win-win format”.
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