Govt lays down gauntlet

In a new approach by the environment ministry to manage sand mining properly, applications will not be approved without the consent of a traditional authority in communal areas.

The ministry has also resolved that sand mining must not take place in crop fields in order to protect the livelihoods of local farmers and for Namibia to achieve food security.

This was said by environment minister Pohamba Shifeta, who was addressing traditional authorities on issues relating to sand mining in communal areas at their 21st annual meeting held this week in Windhoek.

Shifeta said the ministry continues to observe an unprecedented scale of illegal sand mining, particularly in communal areas.

According to him this practice has caused severe land degradation, loss of human life and loss of livestock which drown in sand pits when they are filled with water.

“The burrow pits also often impede access to people's homesteads. Furthermore, sand mining in crop fields has caused severe topsoil erosion, thereby degrading soil quality which results in reduced productivity. This negatively affects the goals and objectives of the government in attaining food security.”



Mandate

He said the ministry recognises the custodianship mandate of the traditional authorities with regard to the utilisation of communal land.

“Consequently the ministry has adopted a holistic approach in which traditional leaders play a vital role to address sand mining.”

To implement this approach the ministry recently developed a new questionnaire that requires all sand-mining applications to be approved at all levels of traditional leadership and the regional leadership before final approval by the environmental commissioner.

“Without the consent of the traditional authority no approval shall be issued for sand-mining applications in communal areas,” said Shifeta.

He further stressed that sand mining is a listed activity under the Environmental Management Act and therefore may not be undertaken without obtaining an environmental clearance certificate.

“Despite any other law to the contrary a competent authority may not issue an authorisation unless the proponent has obtained an environmental clearance certificate in terms of the Act,” Shifeta said, quoting a section of the Act.

He said that this makes the Environmental Management Act an overarching Act for decisions that have significant effects on the environment.

“It is therefore illegal for an individual to undertake sand mining or any listed activity with other permits, be it from the traditional authority or any other competent authority without an environment clearance certificate.”



Fine

He said mining without this certificate may incur a fine of up to N$25 000, or 25 years in jail, or both.

The ministry has also embarked on an awareness campaign to inform traditional authorities about the Environmental Management Act.

“Through these campaigns we have observed that traditional authorities were accustomed to issuing sand-mining permits and lacked awareness of the relevant provisions of the Act,” said Shifeta.

He said these matters were therefore discussed at length with traditional authorities to make them aware of the provisions of the Act, particularly with regard to sand mining.

Shifeta said to ensure environmental sustainability everyone must uphold the legal requirements and engage in types of sand mining that lead to adequate environmental management and protection.

He also called on traditional authorities to report suspicious activities and bad practices in terms of environmental management.

Shifeta added that the ministry does not intend to compromise on development.

“We recognise that sand is an essential raw material for construction of buildings and roads in particular. However the Environmental Management Act mandates the ministry to promote the sustainable management of the environment and the use of natural resources by establishing principles for decision-making on matters affecting the environment.”