Defiant Xinfeng builds mine in the desert

Operations at the Chinese lithium miner Xinfeng&#039;s open pit mine, about 70 km outside Uis, continue.Along the dirt road to Henties Bay and then deep into the open Namib Desert plains of the Tsiseb conservation area, mechanical diggers extract cavities from the earth.Dump trucks are loaded with soil to pile loads on the ridges of the new ore dump mountains. Square blocks are prepared for bulk blasting at various locations. Crews operate mobile drilling rigs while bulldozers move back and forth. A fleet of around eighty trucks stands ready in the parking lot, not far from the office facilities and the housing that has been built on the site.Mining rushAccording to sources, no mining for the sought-after mineral deposit has taken place yet, but Xinfeng&#039;s eagerness is evident. On Thursday, several trucks were dispatched to update their registration at Natis in Karibib.The small mining town of Uis sits squarely in the middle of an international rush for lithium. The Andrada tin mine, which dominates the town centre, announced last month that it could produce additional lithium concentrate alongside its usual tin concentrate.The adjustments to the Andrada plant should be fully operational in July, according to the South African miner.Job opportunitiesMeanwhile, Chief Zacharias Seibeb of the Dâure Daman Traditional Authority in Uis says disgruntled protesters who objected to lithium miners earlier this year are uninformed about how exclusive prospecting licences (EPL) and mining licences are awarded.According to him, more than 88 EPLs had already been approved before anyone approached the traditional authority for permission letters. However, only two exclusive prospecting licences are currently active, he says.Seibeb believes that mining investors can bring development and jobs to his impoverished community and that he cannot simply reject them."The Chinese are sitting with the papers from the ministry of mines and energy. The EPL, mining claims, the mining licences, and prospecting licences are all awarded by the ministry of mines and energy. We are not mining inspectors, and after we give permission, it is in the hands of the ministry," he says.Not in chargeAccording to him, Xinfeng had already bought its EPL and claims from Namibians and had them approved by the mining ministry even before the traditional authority was approached for permission."Even if the traditional authority wanted to refuse, the minister or the inspector, or the mining commissioner can still continue to grant a licence. I am also worried for my people; if we were to say no, how would we be able to ask for help after that?"According to Seibeb, Andrada has offered jobs to residents of the town on three occasions, and even lowered requirements to accommodate more. With Xinfeng, a discussion about how they would accommodate residents did take place, but was not repeated since the protest, Seibeb says.JudgmentXinfeng is also facing opposition from the mines and energy minister, Tom Alweendo, who wants to revoke their mining licence 243 for their other lithium mine outside Omaruru. Judgment on an urgent application brought in this regard was postponed until 7 June by Judge Ramon Maasdorp on Friday.In court documents, Xinfeng says the Omaruru mine has been idle since December, and according to a guard at the gate, the entire workforce has since moved to Uis.In the meantime, the people of Uis continue with their ancient practises, and small miners exploit claims in the surrounding mountains.According to Seibeb, foreigners are now also buying lithium in addition to selling semi-precious stones to tourists.Small miners are concerned about their hold on their claims with the increase in large claims. Australia&#039;s Aksari&#039;s EPL is also located in the town between ML129 and ML134, which belongs to Andrada. Officials from Andrada, the mining ministry, and the ministry of the environment, forestry and tourism visited small miners&#039; houses west of the town last week. They did not want to divulge the reasons for the visits.augetto@republikein.com.na

Defiant Xinfeng builds mine in the desert

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Namibian Sun 2024-12-27

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Defiant Xinfeng builds mine in the desert

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Namibian Sun 2024-12-27

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