Chamwe Kaira
The Chamber of Mines of Namibia says its relationship with the government came under pressure during 2025 due to disagreements over proposed local ownership requirements for the mining sector.
In its latest industry review, the Chamber said engagement with the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy became difficult during the year, especially after the ministry’s mandate was expanded to include the industries portfolio.
The Chamber said former minister of industries, mines and energy Natangwe Ithete was also serving as deputy prime minister at the time, which created scheduling difficulties.
After a new minister was appointed in March 2025, the Chamber’s executive committee held a courtesy meeting to introduce the organisation and invite the minister to address the Chamber’s Annual General Meeting in April.
During the meeting, the minister reportedly raised concerns that the mining sector was not delivering enough benefits to Namibians.
The Chamber said it then requested further engagement to present information on the industry’s economic, fiscal and social contributions.
According to the Chamber, repeated efforts to secure a detailed meeting before the annual general meeting were unsuccessful.
A follow-up meeting eventually took place in July 2025 but lasted only about 40 minutes.
The situation escalated after the minister announced during the 2025 Mining Expo and Conference that the government intended to introduce a mandatory 51% local ownership requirement for future mining licences.
The Chamber said it immediately sought urgent discussions with government and warned that the proposal could harm investment, competitiveness and the long-term sustainability of the mining sector.
A meeting on the issue only took place in October 2025, during which the minister reportedly maintained support for the proposed ownership threshold.
The Chamber said the proposed 51% requirement marked a major shift from earlier discussions under the previous administration, where the government had considered a possible 10% free-carry interest.
According to the Chamber, the announcement created uncertainty among local and international investors.
The Chamber said some companies with Namibian mining interests temporarily suspended trading on the Australian Stock Exchange due to uncertainty surrounding the policy environment.
It also raised concerns that similar ownership requirements could later be introduced in sectors such as oil and gas.
After unsuccessful attempts to secure further engagement with the minister, the Chamber escalated the matter to the State House and met President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in September 2025.
Representatives from the National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy also attended the meeting.
The discussions focused on stabilising the policy environment and creating a coordinated approach to local ownership policies.
According to the Chamber, the President clarified that the proposed 51% local ownership requirement was not formal government policy.
The Chamber said the government’s objective was to ensure Namibians benefit more from the mining value chain, including through ownership opportunities.
The government also appointed the National Planning Commission to coordinate the development of local ownership policies across sectors.
Namibia’s sixth National Development Plan, launched in July 2025, also reflected the ownership debate.
The Chamber said it contributed to drafting the mining chapter but raised concerns that some of its submissions were omitted or weakened in the final document.
It specifically objected to references suggesting a 51% local ownership benchmark for mining licences in 2024 and a target of 60% by 2030.
The Chamber argued that the figures did not reflect the ownership structures of most large-scale mining operations in Namibia.
Further discussions with the National Planning Commission and the ministry later revealed that the figures were based on combined data that included mining claims.
