Government’s balanced approach

ANTON GEINUB, CHAIRPERSON OF THE LEONARDVILLE YOUTH GROUP WRITES:

As the youth of Leonardville, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Namibian Government and Parliament for showing wisdom and courage in allowing the Headspring Investments exploration project to continue in our area.

For many years, Leonardville has been a quiet settlement on the fringes of development. Opportunities are few, unemployment among young people is high, and many of us have watched our friends and relatives leave in search of work elsewhere.

When the Headspring Investments uranium exploration project – in partnership with Rosatom – was introduced, it gave us hope that our village could finally become part of Namibia’s economic story.

BALANCED DECISION

We thank the government for taking a balanced approach – listening to scientists, environmental experts, and community voices before making any decision.

By allowing exploration to continue, Parliament has demonstrated its commitment to both protecting the environment and creating opportunities for its people.

We understand that before any mining can begin, exploration must first determine whether the resource is economically viable and environmentally safe. Stopping exploration would mean closing the door before we even know what potential lies beneath our soil. We therefore support the government’s decision as a necessary and responsible step forward.

ACTION AND INCLUSION

However, while we welcome the decision, we are concerned that there is still no visible activity happening around Leonardville.

Many of us expected to see movement – more surveys, community briefings, or job opportunities linked to the exploration phase. Instead, the area has remained quiet.

We ask both the company and the authorities to communicate clearly with the community about the current stage of the project. We, the youth, are eager to be part of this process – not only as onlookers, but as active participants who can learn, work, and contribute to development in our home area.

Training programmes and community upliftment initiatives that were previously launched by Headspring Investments gave us a glimpse of what is possible. We would like to see these continue and expand, so that the youth are ready when larger-scale activities begin.

DEVELOPMENT WITH RESPONSIBILITY

We are aware of the concerns raised by environmental experts and local farmers about the Stampriet Aquifer. As young people, we depend on clean water and a healthy environment just as much as anyone else. That is why we believe exploration – guided by strong scientific monitoring and strict government oversight – is the right way to find out the facts before jumping to conclusions.

If studies show that uranium mining can be done safely, then Leonardville deserves to benefit from jobs, skills training, and infrastructure development. If it cannot be done safely, then at least the exploration process will have provided the evidence needed for an informed national decision.

OUR CALL TO ACTION

We urge:

– Government to keep engaging the community openly, ensuring that information flows both ways.

– Headspring Investments to communicate clearly about timelines, progress, and opportunities.

– Our fellow youth to stay informed, get involved, and prepare themselves through education and skills training for the opportunities that may come.

Leonardville is ready for progress – responsible progress that benefits our people and protects our environment. We once again thank our leaders for listening to the community and for allowing the exploration phase to continue.

Now, we are asking for the next step: transparency, visible action, and inclusion of the youth in shaping the future of our region.

* Beste lesers, keuring vir die publikasie van WhatsApp, briewe en alle ander lesersbydraes berus by Republikein. Klagtes oor die diens van private besighede word eers aan die onderneming vir reaksie voorgelê. Die menings van ons lesers en rubriekskrywers verteenwoordig nie noodwendig die standpunt van Republikein nie. Republikein is ’n lid van die Redakteursforum van Namibië (EFN) en onderskryf die etiese kode vir die Namibiese media soos toegepas deur die media-ombudsman.