Impact of mining on society

CLAYTON FARAO WRITES:After years of following social media and being exposed to mining activities in Namibia, I ask myself this question: What are the impacts of the mining sector on society? GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS How is it possible that we still have schools with no buildings or hostels in dire conditions in Namibia? The issue of what some children go through to get an education was addressed in the National Assembly recently. I believe our education system should be of a similar standard to that of private schools throughout all regions. How do we expect better output if we cannot even offer pupils a better standard of education? Why are pupils still taught in such conditions? What is the ministry of education, arts and culture really doing? We have people attending education seminars and conferences overseas, but we still have an education system that teaches our children about the grasshopper. Considering the population and the wealth we possess, the standard of education should be outstanding. Where are the funds going?PROSPEROUS MINING SECTORQatarEnergy recently posted that the company has discovered oil offshore Namibia, and this exploration license compromises of QatarEnergy owning 45% of the working interest, Shell owning 45%, and the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) only owning 10%. Although I understand the dynamics around this in terms of investment and that they used their capital for this discovery, the fact remains that it is Namibian oil.What happened during the negotiations that led to this type of ownership? Could the negotiations perhaps have turned out in such a way that Namcor accepted the 10% if the other entities collectively built one or two schools, with hostels for every school in Namibia? Why does Namcor not at least own a 20% share? Why do other people and countries get richer than Namibia, which owns the resources? How does this make any sense? Have we become sold out by our own people? As long as the elites enjoy it, what about the rest of those down the food chain? There is this current hype regarding sustainable energy and green hydrogen, although there will be a great boost in employment and livelihoods, the question remains: who will benefit the most? Who are the main players in this huge project? Why have we not put such a great deal of sustainability into our education system and our children? How will this new green hydrogen be steered towards eradicating poor living standards in Namibia? Alternatively, will the rich just become richer while the rest of the people down the food chain see and hear highlights about the benefits of green hydrogen? Namibia’s population is roughly around 2.5 million; why is the living standard so low considering our rich minerals? At the Mining Expo, mines and energy minister, Tom Alweendo, mentioned something about a fund that is in the pipeline. Who will be the main players running this fund? My greatest fear is that other people may use this fund to abuse and mismanage it out of its intended purpose. With the level of corruption in Namibia, will this fund be managed with integrity? Many institutions and funds may look right on paper and in the public’s eye, but they are never righteous. Above are some of the points discussed with the minister during the Mining Expo and at his office. It does not require a person with a master’s degree or a PhD, or even the generally required accolades or experiences, to see and understand the status in Namibia. Even the housing issue and the uncontrollable increase in food prices are causes of great concern. Why are the real issues not discussed? It is our resources; we must mostly benefit, and there must be a leg of sustainability towards the areas that struggle the most. If other countries can do it, why can’t we? #SpeakNamibia* Rubrieke, meningstukke, briewe en SMS’e deur lesers en meningvormers weerspieël nie noodwendig die siening van Republikein of Namibia Media Holdings (NMH) nie. As mediahuis onderskryf NMH die etiese kode vir Namibiese media, soos toegepas deur die Media-ombudsman.

Impact of mining on society

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Republikein 2024-11-25

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Impact of mining on society

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Republikein 2024-11-25

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