Manganese fears mount again

Initial relief, following orders last week for an immediate halt to the transport and offloading of manganese ore at Lüderitz, has given way to a renewed burst of fear and outrage. This is after residents discovered that Namport had received the material and stored at least 240 tonnes in two vacant sheds at the port of Lüderitz on Sunday.Last week, the environment ministry confirmed that the manganese operation had not been given the green light, as no environmental clearance certificate had been issued. An investigation was launched and the police impounded eight trucks loaded with manganese ore, which had arrived from South Africa as part of an export deal to ship the product to China via the port of Lüderitz. The trucks were ordered to stop offloading the manganese ore at a site close to the town, amidst protests from local residents who said the hazardous material posed severe health and safety risks to the community, the environment and the town's business operations, as well as the marine ecosystem. Namport acting CEO Elias Mwenyo confirmed on Monday that the environment ministry had granted “temporary permission” for Namport to offload and store the manganese ore on Sunday, while the matter was being investigated and an application for environmental clearance certificate was being considered. “The ore was safely transferred to the warehouse facility at the port of Lüderitz following remedial measures and conditions set by the ministry of environment and tourism.”Mwenyo stressed that Namport conducted a “thorough risk assessment… prior to the arrival of the product on site”. “Health, safety and environmental issues were identified and mitigation measures were implemented to ensure the safe delivery and storage of the commodity in an enclosed environment.” Namport, Mwenyo said, adhered strictly to the “highest International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standards (as an ISO certified institution) and condemned actions that would cause negative consequences for human or environmental sustainability”. He said the consignment remained impounded and under the supervision of the port authority, with regular inspections by law-enforcement agencies. Mwenyo added that the temporary arrangement was the most viable solution under the current circumstances, considering that the port offered the safest storage option. In the spotlight A resident who preferred to speak anonymously, but who is familiar with the port conditions and infrastructure, agreed that the port offered the best stop-gap solution to store the manganese in a contained space, but said that raised a host of new worries. He claimed that the two Rubb Halls selected to store the manganese were inadequately equipped to ensure that water used to keep the product moist would not pollute the ocean. He pointed out that the halls are not equipped with “a loop drainage system”, which is required to collect and filter the water of harmful contaminants. “Namport has exposed other port users. The port is only about 500 metres long and everything takes place there. Passengers board, supply boats use the port and wet fish is offloaded. The manganese has been placed slap-bang in the middle of the port.” His concerns mirrored those of other community members, who took to social media to share their outrage and worries about the potential health hazards posed by exposure to manganese ore. Safe and secure In a telephonic interview, Mwenyo said the handling of manganese ore was not new to Namport. He said the Lüderitz community could rest assured that Namport was well equipped to ensure the safe handling and storage of the product. He stressed that Namport subscribed to “strict international environmental standards, and is also certified, so there is no way that we would compromise on our safety, health, environmental or occupational health and safety standards”. In response to concerns about fishing operations at the port, he said Namport, along with the previous handling of manganese ore at the port of Walvis Bay, also frequently handled other high-risk products, including sulphur and lead concentrate. “Those are potentially hazardous commodities, yet these commodities co-exist with the fishing industry. I am proud to say so far we haven't experienced any dangerous incidents whatsoever that are detrimental to the fishing industry.” He repeated that strict international guidelines and measures were in place to prevent “exposure or health risks to our workers or to whoever is operating within the port facility”. “That is guaranteed. It is not our first time to be in contact with manganese ore.” Mwenyo confirmed that the manganese ore from 12 impounded trucks, totalling around 248 tonnes, had been offloaded into two empty Rubb Halls at the port. Support industry Many Lüderitz residents say they are not opposed to development but it should not be at the cost of the town's people and environment. The ore was brought to Namibia by a South African company, registered as TradePort Namibia CC, one of two companies that have been negotiating with Namport for the handling of manganese exports to China. The second company negotiating with Namport is listed as Pektranam Logistics. Mwenyo refrained from commenting directly on TradePort Namibia's decision to begin offloading the manganese ore without an environmental clearance certificate or adequate safety measures in place. He said Namport supported “the business venture, but it must be in line with Namibian law”. “We cannot entertain a process that undermines the required procedures that need to be followed.” He said the status of the manganese already dumped next to the road outside the town remained unclear.JANA-MARI SMITH

Manganese fears mount again

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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Manganese fears mount again

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

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