Mining destroys prehistoric art
Archaeologists estimate that some of the San rock paintings in Namibia that occur at places like Otjohorongo's granite hills date back 5 000 years and some are as old as 30 000 years.
The annihilation of prehistoric Namibian rock art by granite mining in the Erongo Region, and strategies to stem further damage to sensitive archaeological hotspots, top the agenda of a stakeholder meeting set to take place this month.
The discussions will revolve around a February assessment by experts at and near mining sites at Otjohorongo granite hills and Gross Okandjou Farm.
The site visit took place after Omatjete community members raised the alarm in January, citing serious concerns about the intrusion of mining activities into the area famed for its prolific ancient rock art.
Last September, the owner of Farm Gross-Okandjou, according to media reports, lodged a case of trespassing and destruction of property against a joint Chinese-Namibian granite mining operation, who he claimed had destroyed granite outcrops on his farm that contained valuable San art, without his permission.
Archaeologists estimate that some of the San rock paintings in Namibia that occur at places like Otjohorongo's granite hills date back 5 000 years and some are as old as 30 000 years.
The initial findings contained in the assessment report, still to be discussed by government and other stakeholders this month, indicate that at least 30 archaeological sites, containing more than 500 rock paintings, are located “within the footprint of both mining licence and mining claims”.
These areas have been “directly impacted by mining activities,” the assessment found.
The report notes that some of the archaeological heritage resources have “already been destroyed in the course of mining”, underlining that the damage is irreversible and “translates to permanent loss”.
The mining activities moreover have resulted in the “outright destruction and disruption of the aesthetic and visual integrity of the granite hill and outcrop at Gross-Okandjou Farm,” the report noted.
The report highlights that the Otjohorongo granite hill is a significant and major archaeological heritage hotspot that remains vulnerable to the impacts of mining.
“There is a high likelihood of direct disturbance and destruction of the sites in the area if no remedial actions are taken,” the assessment stressed. This impact would be “high and irreversible”.
Overall, the findings indicate direct human-induced harm to the landscape and rock art sites from the large-scale mining operations, as well as disruption from these activities to the ecosystem and geology of the area.
Action
The ministry of mines and energy last week confirmed that key stakeholders will be asked to meet this month to discuss the findings and the appropriate course of action now needed. Stakeholders include the mining companies, community and various government offices including Namibia's Heritage Council.
Mining ministry spokesperson Andras Simon last week said the “ministry regards this as a very serious matter that must be addressed by not only the ministry of mines and energy alone”.
Heritage Council spokesperson Beverley van Wyk this month stressed the need for a “coordinated approach to mining so as to prevent the damage that is currently being caused by mining activities”.
Lukas Sasamba of Dreamland Investments, which operates Ekungungu quarry in the Otjohorongo area, this week said all mining operations take place “far from the rock paintings”.
He said he was aware that a meeting to discuss the findings of the assessment is slated to take place and was keen to get discussions under way.
Sasamba said his company conducted an environmental impact assessment as per the law and was issued an environmental clearance certificate by the environment ministry before operations began.
“The EIA report indicated there are rock paintings in the area, but they are far from us,” he said.
Nevertheless, he said if an assessment located prehistoric art within the mining areas, he was open to discussions to lead the way forward.
Last week, Dreamland Investments issued a media notice that 30 employees at its granite and marble operations in the Erongo Region will be retrenched, and production halted, due to the steep decrease in demand as a result of the coronavirus global pandemic.
The media notice indicated that Ekungungu and another quarry, Ewe mining, are among the affected operations.
Act now
Concerned environmental experts say there is an urgent need to conduct a strategic assessment of the dimension stone mining sector, which includes granite and marble, to determine whether the sector's value to Namibia outweighs the high costs of the damage to the environment and heritage sites.
An archaeologist, who declined to be named, said damage to rock art sites in the country by mining and vandalism is not a new problem, but that too little has been done over the years to seriously address the problem.
He said while existing laws and regulations are in place to ensure the protection of archaeological heritage sites, oversight and implementation have been spotty.
“We can't just blame the dimension stone mining sector; where are the officials and people who should be acting to ensure these sites are protected?”
He said the Otjohorongo granite hills contain some of the country's most important rock art, where new discoveries are continuously made.
“It's alarming. You can't repair the damage. You can't fix it.”
He added that the destruction of these sites is not only a loss of the country's cultural heritage, but a loss of income opportunities for communities and tourism.
JANA-MARI SMITH
The discussions will revolve around a February assessment by experts at and near mining sites at Otjohorongo granite hills and Gross Okandjou Farm.
The site visit took place after Omatjete community members raised the alarm in January, citing serious concerns about the intrusion of mining activities into the area famed for its prolific ancient rock art.
Last September, the owner of Farm Gross-Okandjou, according to media reports, lodged a case of trespassing and destruction of property against a joint Chinese-Namibian granite mining operation, who he claimed had destroyed granite outcrops on his farm that contained valuable San art, without his permission.
Archaeologists estimate that some of the San rock paintings in Namibia that occur at places like Otjohorongo's granite hills date back 5 000 years and some are as old as 30 000 years.
The initial findings contained in the assessment report, still to be discussed by government and other stakeholders this month, indicate that at least 30 archaeological sites, containing more than 500 rock paintings, are located “within the footprint of both mining licence and mining claims”.
These areas have been “directly impacted by mining activities,” the assessment found.
The report notes that some of the archaeological heritage resources have “already been destroyed in the course of mining”, underlining that the damage is irreversible and “translates to permanent loss”.
The mining activities moreover have resulted in the “outright destruction and disruption of the aesthetic and visual integrity of the granite hill and outcrop at Gross-Okandjou Farm,” the report noted.
The report highlights that the Otjohorongo granite hill is a significant and major archaeological heritage hotspot that remains vulnerable to the impacts of mining.
“There is a high likelihood of direct disturbance and destruction of the sites in the area if no remedial actions are taken,” the assessment stressed. This impact would be “high and irreversible”.
Overall, the findings indicate direct human-induced harm to the landscape and rock art sites from the large-scale mining operations, as well as disruption from these activities to the ecosystem and geology of the area.
Action
The ministry of mines and energy last week confirmed that key stakeholders will be asked to meet this month to discuss the findings and the appropriate course of action now needed. Stakeholders include the mining companies, community and various government offices including Namibia's Heritage Council.
Mining ministry spokesperson Andras Simon last week said the “ministry regards this as a very serious matter that must be addressed by not only the ministry of mines and energy alone”.
Heritage Council spokesperson Beverley van Wyk this month stressed the need for a “coordinated approach to mining so as to prevent the damage that is currently being caused by mining activities”.
Lukas Sasamba of Dreamland Investments, which operates Ekungungu quarry in the Otjohorongo area, this week said all mining operations take place “far from the rock paintings”.
He said he was aware that a meeting to discuss the findings of the assessment is slated to take place and was keen to get discussions under way.
Sasamba said his company conducted an environmental impact assessment as per the law and was issued an environmental clearance certificate by the environment ministry before operations began.
“The EIA report indicated there are rock paintings in the area, but they are far from us,” he said.
Nevertheless, he said if an assessment located prehistoric art within the mining areas, he was open to discussions to lead the way forward.
Last week, Dreamland Investments issued a media notice that 30 employees at its granite and marble operations in the Erongo Region will be retrenched, and production halted, due to the steep decrease in demand as a result of the coronavirus global pandemic.
The media notice indicated that Ekungungu and another quarry, Ewe mining, are among the affected operations.
Act now
Concerned environmental experts say there is an urgent need to conduct a strategic assessment of the dimension stone mining sector, which includes granite and marble, to determine whether the sector's value to Namibia outweighs the high costs of the damage to the environment and heritage sites.
An archaeologist, who declined to be named, said damage to rock art sites in the country by mining and vandalism is not a new problem, but that too little has been done over the years to seriously address the problem.
He said while existing laws and regulations are in place to ensure the protection of archaeological heritage sites, oversight and implementation have been spotty.
“We can't just blame the dimension stone mining sector; where are the officials and people who should be acting to ensure these sites are protected?”
He said the Otjohorongo granite hills contain some of the country's most important rock art, where new discoveries are continuously made.
“It's alarming. You can't repair the damage. You can't fix it.”
He added that the destruction of these sites is not only a loss of the country's cultural heritage, but a loss of income opportunities for communities and tourism.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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