Minister Shifeta, please respond

CONCERNED CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS WRITES:

Minister Pohamba Shifeta has not reviewed an urgent legal appeal, lodged in June, requesting the minister to review the decision to extend ReconAfrica’s permit, or explain why he won’t.

In June this year communities in the Kavango Region appealed to the minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta to set aside ReconAfrica’s operating permit due to what they allege are serious breaches of the Environmental Management Act by the company.

Kavango communities allege that ReconAfrica did not follow Namibian law when the company applied for the renewal of their drilling permit in the following ways:

Recon Africa did not adequately consult affected communities.

Recon Africa did not adequately consult interested and affected parties.

However, Timo Mufeti, the environmental commissioner, issued the environmental clearance certificate anyway.

Today communities in the region are still waiting for the minister to respond to their request to review this decision more than four months after submitting their concerns and official request for a review.

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