Small-scale miners struggling

Kunene Small-Scale Miners Association spokesperson Herman Narebeb told Nampa recently many small-scale miners in the region have lost interest in selling their wares on the international market as efforts to attract international buyers always end in vain.“It has been a huge challenge for all of us. Tourists just come to us by the side of the road and buy semi-precious stones and they are gone. When they leave Namibia I am sure they make a lot of money. Some even come back to look for the same stones but we have no choice but to just sell them directly. If you don't sell it, where will you get a buyer?” Narebeb said.He added that small-scale miners in Kunene could be more successful if they had a formal international platform for the sale of their semi-precious stones, which include Topaz, Tourmaline and Amethyst.Herman Huseb, a small-scale miner based in Uis who mines various types of semi-precious stones, expressed similar sentiments, saying the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) should give small-scale miners a platform to attract possible buyers.He also said business has not been going well for some time now.“We only get to make something when tourists pass through. Business has been very slow for the past two years,” Huseb said.In 2018, the MME granted 42 mining claims in Kunene, while 19 claims were granted in 2019, according to statistics availed to this news agency by the ministry.Approached for comment, the ministry’s chief public relations officer Andreas Simon said they just facilitate the granting of mining claims and it is up to the miners to find markets for their stones.“Mining claims are valid for three years and can be renewed every two years, provided that the claim is being developed or worked on, in order for the miners to legally conduct small-scale mining,” he said.Simon further said as a regulator the ministry still faces challenges regarding granting mining claims.“Non-compliance to requirements of the Mineral Act is one of the challenges we face. Other challenges include illegal mining, lack of reporting, no rehabilitation of the environment, as well as budget constraints,” Simon said.The ministry has also encountered problems with the registration of associations for small-scale miners and the provision of equipment.Small-scale mining claims are reserved for Namibians only.The application for a license fee for small-scale mining ranges from N$2 000 for an area of fewer than 20 hectares to N$10 000 for an area of 90 000 hectares and from one to 100 000 hectares depending on exploration, said Simon.There are currently approximately 2 000 small-scale miners in possession of mining rights, countrywide, most for semi-precious stones and dimension stones. - NAMPA

Small-scale miners struggling

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Small-scale miners struggling

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