Allexer Namundjembo
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has demanded clear progress on the country’s natural resource beneficiation programme, saying the government must move beyond policy statements and provide measurable outcomes, defined targets, and evidence of tangible economic impact.
PDM member of parliament Diederik Vries questioned the minister in the Presidency, Charles Mubita, in Parliament on Wednesday, seeking clarity on the implementation and effectiveness of the beneficiation strategy.
In his motivation, Vries said beneficiation has been repeatedly presented as a basis of Namibia’s economic transformation agenda, but there is still limited clarity on its real-world impact.
“Natural resource beneficiation has been presented by the President and her Government as a cornerstone of Namibia’s economic transformation agenda, with promises of industrialisation, job creation, and greater value addition from our natural resources,” said Vries.
He cautioned that despite these commitments, many Namibians are yet to see concrete results.
“However, while these commitments have featured prominently in Government policy pronouncements, many Namibians are yet to see clear evidence of measurable outcomes, defined targets, or tangible economic benefits,” Vries said.
Vries stressed the need for Parliament to receive full clarity on implementation and accountability mechanisms.
“It is therefore important that Parliament receives clarity on the implementation, progress, and accountability mechanisms that support this strategy,” said Vries.
Among the issues raised, PDM is demanding that the Government disclose specific and measurable beneficiation targets set for 2030 across the mining, fisheries, and energy sectors.
The party is also seeking clarity on projected job creation figures, including both direct and indirect employment, and the methodology used to derive those estimates.
With Namibia nearing oil-producing status, PDM further wants the government to outline the beneficiation opportunities it intends to pursue within the petroleum value chain to ensure broader national economic participation.
The party has also raised concerns about whether the country’s current electricity generation capacity is sufficient to support large-scale beneficiation and industrialisation, warning that energy constraints could undermine implementation.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has identified natural resource beneficiation as a central pillar of Namibia’s economic transformation agenda, with the Government placing increased emphasis on local value addition and industrial development.
Her administration has prioritised reducing reliance on raw material exports by promoting domestic processing within key sectors, including mining, fisheries, agriculture, and emerging industries such as oil, gas, and green hydrogen.
Under the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), Government policy has focused on strengthening industrial capacity, improving value chains, and increasing the economic contribution of Namibia’s natural resources through beneficiation initiatives.
In the fisheries sector, the government has introduced governance and compliance measures aimed at improving sector performance and increasing value addition.
In agriculture, renewed investment in irrigation schemes and farming infrastructure has been prioritised to support food production and agro-processing.
At the same time, emerging energy developments, particularly in oil and gas, are being positioned as opportunities for future downstream value creation.
The government has also placed increased emphasis on public-sector performance management and accountability, with greater focus on tracking implementation progress across ministries and agencies.
