Oniipa community disputes sand mining
ONDANDO - The c ommu n i t y of Ondando-Epale village in the Oshikoto region’s Oniipa constituency is opposing the Environmental Clearance Certificate granted to the Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) for sand mining taking place at the village.
The e nv i r on m e nt a l commissioner in the ministry of environment issued the certificate to the traditional authority on 15 October 2020.
Spoke spe r son of the community, Oscar Shikongo, in an interview with Nampa on Monday said the community understands that the OTA plans to have 20 to 30 trucks daily from a local business to mine sand at the village.
The sand mining site, Shikongo said, was previously owned by Jesaya Elago, who has vacated it in recent years and now lives elsewhere.
According to Shikongo, the community is opposing the granting of the certificate and wants it revoked on the grounds that no proper consultation has taken place and no community consent was sought.
“Eight community members were on 20 May this year called to a meeting held on the site with OTA representatives where they were made to give their signatures for the deal under the pretext that a community garden was going to be established on the land in question,” Shikongo claimed.
He went on to say the community last week drafted an appeal letter against the granting of the said certificate
and forwarded it to the office of the line minister, seeking for it to be revoked.
OTA’s spokesperson, Kashona kaMalulu declined to comment on the matter. “They did not approach us before running to the
media and as such, we reserve our comment on the issue,” kaMalulu told Nampa on Tuesday.
Acting environment ministry spokesperson Joseph Tashiya also could not shed more light on the community’s appeal.
“The office of the minister has not yet received the appeal letter and cannot comment on the matter for now,” cited Tashiya when approached for comment on Tuesday. -Nampa