Dylan Mukoroli
Namibia is currently at a crossroads, and the name “Leonardville” now centres an international debate around a widely used mining method known as In Situ Leaching (ISL).
Having attended a number of consultations on this mining method convened by the mine itself, community organisations, private bodies, and the Uranium Mining Institute, where farmers, water experts, geologists, and hydrological specialists unpacked this method to its core in a bid to demystify and understand what it entails, I rise to add my voice in support of this mining method.
Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association’s (SAUMA) economic development, 500 jobs vs the risk of widespread contamination
I had no intention of writing about the economic benefits, because they are very prevalent. However, having read an article written in 2024 and republished recently, which draws conclusions on economic benefits for a relatively small community versus widespread contamination, I find it a slap in the face to the hardships the community of Leonardville faces.
That argument comes from a place of privilege and reeks of not understanding the many challenges the community faces. Bluntly put, the colleagues would like the status quo to continue and not consider the possibility that, if strictly managed with uncompromisable protocols in place, agriculture and mining can co-exist.
For now, I shall leave it at that. SAUMA, julle moet skaam kry.
Addressing leaking concerns
There is an article by Conservation Namibia that digs deep into the mining method, using terms such as “pumping corrosive leachates” and “contamination of ground water.” It is a very well-put article, however, allow me to address one or two things around contamination.
In ISR best practice, the aquifer of interest, where the uranium-bearing ore is located, or is identified, and the water is sampled and analysed to create a baseline for the area where mining will take place.
Leaks of mining solutions are possible, but with existing mitigation methods of monitoring and testing the tightness of pipelines and casing of wells at the stage of construction and operation, they can be greatly prevented.
They further wrote that borehole casings break, etc. To this we say: casing columns are tested for strength and tightness at the construction stage and periodically on schedule during operation.
If a leak is detected, the well is subjected to repair or liquidated. Modern measurement methods make it possible to accurately maintain the volume balance of injection and pumping solutions and control the leaching zone within a given boundary.
If the results of analysis from observation and monitoring wells show the presence of man-made solutions, then by changing the ratio of injection and pumping solutions, the solutions return to the leaching zone from the observation wells.
Namibia’s ISR applicability and water restoration
As our beautiful Namibia contemplates ISR as a potential alternative to traditional mining, it is important to note that its geology and hydrogeology, sandstone-hosted deposits and confined aquifers, are amicably conducive to this method.
Permeability of 1–5 metres per day, the clay fraction, and natural confining beds are technical requirements that render ISR safe and effective to implement.
Policy certainty initiated by Namibia and guided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an indication of a willingness to undertake sustainable mining practices.
By embracing ISR, the country would also serve as an African pioneer in responsible uranium mining. Yet we find that even before the IAEA has submitted its country report, critics have already attacked its integrity.
This shows that there is zero interest in whether the mining activity is safe or not, even by a credible, independent international organisation. We are not getting anywhere.
Furthermore, as critics tend to question whether ISR leaves long-term ground pollution, recent scientific work clearly and credibly demonstrates the self-restoration properties of geological environments.
After mine closure, natural geochemical processes and microbial activity gradually eliminate any existing leaching solution that remains.
Need for pilot studies and completion of hydrological studies
Unfortunately, the then ministry of agriculture, water and land reform withdrew the water permits of the mine, pausing all exploration work, all this under the tenure of now-government critic, former minister Calle Schletwein.
Seeing how the minister now attacks anything that has to do with the mine and its mining method, in support of SAUMA, really leaves much to distaste.
However, on to more progressive thoughts: it is important for Headsprings to complete its hydrological study and exploration, which will allow for the full design of its pilot study.
This pilot study will give us the most realistic breakdown of how this mining process is going to look. Dr Kuiri Tjipangandjara wrote extensively on this hypothesis, that aquifer contamination during exploration is new and must be proven.
The esteemed Dr further writes that mineral drilling is done with a diameter of about 270mm, whereas water borehole drilling uses a diameter of 700mm.
After the mineral core samples are removed, the cavity is sealed to prevent the intrusion of any material. He concludes by stating that the action is taken to preserve the integrity of the ore body.
Botswana’s proactive steps toward ISR
Our sister country Botswana has also identified potential for In Situ Recovery (ISR) in deeper mineralised zones at the Letlhakane Uranium Project.
It recognised that ISR, a widely used method in the world, involves injecting a solution into the ground to dissolve and extract minerals without traditional excavation. ISR specialist ERM Australia Consultants has confirmed the suitability of Letlhakane for ISR.
While still in early evaluation stages, Lotus sees promising ISR results and plans to develop a comprehensive programme to further explore the option.
If successful, ISR could complement the proposed open-pit heap leach process, particularly in costlier mining areas.
Let us be guided by science and not weaponised ignorance
With rigorous baseline studies and continuous monitoring, ISR offers a pathway where agriculture and responsible mining can truly co-exist. As for irresponsible comments by critics, they dismiss the lived hardships of Leonardville’s communities, where 500 jobs and economic uplift represent tangible hope rather than abstract privilege.
To demand perpetual status quo while rejecting pilot studies and hydrological completion is not caution; it is paralysis dressed as environmentalism.
SAUMA, julle moet rerig skaam kry, not for raising concerns, but for refusing to engage with the evidence that could prove them wrong and unlock real progress for our people.
*Dylan Mukoroli is an op-ed columnist , farmer, and passionate about sustainable community development.
All views expressed herein are entirely his own.
