Niël Terblanché
The Chief Executive Officer of the Swakopmund Municipality, Alfeus Benjamin, announced that it is yet to approve a controversial rezoning request by Namaquanum Investments CC.
The company aims to utilize Erf 3954 along Einstein Street in the coastal town’s Industrial Area for the storage of radioactive materials.
The proposal has sparked a wave of discontent among the residents of Swakopmund.
This development came to light following a February advertisement by the property owners, which indicated their intention to store harmful materials on the premises, leaving the Swakopmund community unsettled.
Erf 3954, located in Swakopmund Extension 10 (Industrial Area), is primarily zoned for general industrial use, encompassing activities such as industrial building, light industrial operations, and warehousing.
However, it also allows for consent uses – subject to municipal approval – covering a range of other activities, including noxious industries, which is the category under which the proposed storage facility falls.
Benjamin during a press briefing at the Erongo Governor’s Office, emphasized the municipality’s commitment to rigorous procedural adherence, stating that any activity classified as a hazardous substance facility requires a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study and an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the Environmental Commissioner before proceeding.
“The decision by Council to grant or not to grant its consent will be informed by the EIA report as well as the feedback from the public,” Benjamin clarified.
The process has been set in motion, with the Town Planning Consultant initiating public consultation as the first step in the consent use procedure, as stipulated in Clause 6.2 of the Swakopmund Zoning Scheme.
Despite the initial advertisement, Benjamin pointed out that the Council has yet to receive a formal application for the rezoning, leaving the timeframe for a decision open-ended.
Adding to the discourse, André Faul, an environmental practitioner for Geo Pollution Technologies, assured that “no radioactive waste will be stored at Erf 3954 of Swakopmund’s Industrial Area.”
The company has been assigned the task of conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment for the plot, a critical component that will ultimately influence the municipality’s decision.
Benjamin said that the Swakopmund Municipality faces the challenge of balancing economic growth with the imperative of safeguarding its residents’ health and the environmental integrity of the region.
