People 'at the heart' of mines and energy plans

The industries, mines and energy ministry has placed the Namibian people “at the heart” of its strategic plans, it said at the opening of its annual four-day strategic planning retreat in Swakopmund on Monday.“Let us remain focused on our ultimate goal: enhancing the quality of life for all individuals within our communities,” said executive director Ben Nangombe at the official opening.“This commitment extends beyond our projects, policies and plans; it demands a relentless focus on the people we serve, affirming that they are at the heart of every decision we make,” he added.The event was aimed at aligning national development goals with a renewed mandate for inclusive socio-economic transformation.In his keynote address, deputy prime minister and mines and energy minister Natangwe Ithete declared that the ministry’s future strategies must be measured by outputs and infrastructure, as well as how meaningfully the daily lives of citizens are impacted. The retreat, which ran until Thursday, was viewed as a reset for the ministry following its expanded mandate under the new administration of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. It will culminate in the drafting of a six-year strategic plan for 2025/26 to 2030/31, a performance-aligned annual plan for 2025/26, and formal performance agreements for leadership within the ministry.“We must deliver the completed strategic plan on 30 April 2025, without fail,” said Nangombe. “This plan must not be an end in itself but a means to bring about economic growth, job creation and availability of power for all the people of our country through a shared vision of a stronger, more prosperous Namibia.”Looking backIthete pointed to significant achievements over the past years, including strengthened extractive industry regulation, expanded access to energy and growing local industrial capacity. However, he warned that success must also be measured by implementation and community impact.Between 2020 and 2025, the ministry funded off-grid and grid connections for 1,503 rural households at a cost of N$55.6 million. In the 2024/25 financial year alone, a further 1 956 peri-urban households were connected through a N$75.5 million investment. Public institutions also saw upgrades: 326 facilities and 1 074 households received electrification support worth over N$308 million during the same five-year span.Further cementing Namibia’s regional energy agenda, the deputy prime minister confirmed progress on the Baynes Hydro-Power Project with Angola. The bilateral Implementation Agreement signed in November 2024 is expected to pave the way for enhanced national energy security and cross-border cooperation.“Completion of this project will contribute significantly to our country’s energy security and reinforce our shared commitment to sustainable energy and regional integration,” he said.On the industrial front, Ithete highlighted continued support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the equipment aid scheme and the industrial upgrading and modernisation programme (IUMP). In 2023/24, 390 MSMEs applicants received grants under EAS, and 20 firms were assisted under IUMP, with a combined expenditure of N$8.1 million. This year, 1 580 new applications are being evaluated.Looking forwardIthete also confirmed that all twelve mining licences issued in the last three years include provisions for local ownership – a deliberate shift to ensure Namibians benefit more directly from the country’s mineral wealth. During the same period, the state collected N$5.96 billion in royalties.“These efforts underscore our commitment to ensuring that any mineral rights granted must demonstrate local participation,” Ithete said.Looking ahead, Nangombe stressed that the ministry must now confront its operational shortcomings – including unequal access to services, sluggish project execution and internal inefficiencies – through actionable planning.“The inequities, constraints in access to opportunities, access to power, to industrial and business premises, the conduct of our staff members, faltering project management, tardy processes... this is not a closed list,” he noted. “We must put in place effective responses to all these shortcomings.”

People 'at the heart' of mines and energy plans

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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People 'at the heart' of mines and energy plans

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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