Nam, SA join hands on power generation

FACING severe power shortages, Namibia and South Africa have agreed to start working on a power plant along the Orange River.

The revelation came following last week’s visit by President Hifikepunye Pohamba to Tshwane (Pretoria) where he met his South African counterpart, Thabo Mbeki. Media reports from South Africa following President Pohamba’s visit on Thursday said the agreement was made at the Namibia-South Africa bi-national commission meeting.The two countries said they also wanted to explore alternative sources of energy.This would include joint nuclear technologies.”The challenge that we face is how to respond to the needs of our people in development and the struggle against poverty and human resource development,” Mbeki said after meeting Pohamba.With Namibia’s large gas reserves, Eskom and NamPower are already hard at work on a joint power project.The two power utilities have agreed that the energy deficit in the region will hamper SADC’s integration plans.In May last year, Namibia and South Africa instructed the Permanent Water Commission to draft an agreement on the use of water from the Orange River along the common border.Subsequently Agriculture Minister Nickey Iyambo and his South African counterpart, Buyelwa Sonjica, agreed on the principles of the agreement.A study was conducted to investigate means to improve the management of the lower Orange River and to provide for future developments along the border .It has reached a point where options have been identified.Since 1991, Namibia and South Africa have been locked in a dispute over the exact position of the border.Namibia says the border is in the middle of the river, while SA claims that it is on the northern high-water mark.SA claimed that the boundary was established when erstwhile colonial powers Britain and Germany signed a treaty to that effect in Berlin in 1890.After the change of government in South Africa in 1994, the boundary issue was brought to the attention of the new cabinet, which decided the existing Orange River boundary should be retained.Negotiations on demarcating the boundary started in 1991 under the previous South African government and continued with President Nelson Mandela’s government in 1994, resulting in an agreement by the two surveyors general.The result was that officials from the two sides initialled the agreement, which placed the border in the middle of the river.The agreed text was submitted to the two governments, but it has not been signed.Before 1990, South Africa claimed sovereignty over the entire river.The confusion about the exact location of the border has resulted in differences over mineral rights in the river and grazing rights on its islands, as well as a chaotic situation with regard to fishing boats.Both countries claim that, with no clear-cut boundary, they are unable to prosecute fishing vessels for trespassing on the river.Iyambo and Sonjica agreed that a number of further studies be initiated to improve the quality of water and environment management and that both ministers should improve the monitoring and operation of the existing dams on the river.They also agreed that users be encouraged to conserve water, and that a new dam be considered at Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift to regulate the flow of water.Media reports from South Africa following President Pohamba’s visit on Thursday said the agreement was made at the Namibia-South Africa bi-national commission meeting.The two countries said they also wanted to explore alternative sources of energy. This would include joint nuclear technologies.”The challenge that we face is how to respond to the needs of our people in development and the struggle against poverty and human resource development,” Mbeki said after meeting Pohamba.With Namibia’s large gas reserves, Eskom and NamPower are already hard at work on a joint power project.The two power utilities have agreed that the energy deficit in the region will hamper SADC’s integration plans.In May last year, Namibia and South Africa instructed the Permanent Water Commission to draft an agreement on the use of water from the Orange River along the common border.Subsequently Agriculture Minister Nickey Iyambo and his South African counterpart, Buyelwa Sonjica, agreed on the principles of the agreement.A study was conducted to investigate means to improve the management of the lower Orange River and to provide for future developments along the border .It has reached a point where options have been identified.Since 1991, Namibia and South Africa have been locked in a dispute over the exact position of the border.Namibia says the border is in the middle of the river, while SA claims that it is on the northern high-water mark.SA claimed that the boundary was established when erstwhile colonial powers Britain and Germany signed a treaty to that effect in Berlin in 1890.After the change of government in South Africa in 1994, the boundary issue was brought to the attention of the new cabinet, which decided the existing Orange River boundary should be retained.Negotiations on demarcating the boundary started in 1991 under the previous South African government and continued with President Nelson Mandela’s government in 1994, resulting in an agreement by the two surveyors general.The result was that officials from the two sides initialled the agreement, which placed the border in the middle of the river.The agreed text was submitted to the two governments, but it has not been signed.Before 1990, South Africa claimed sovereignty over the entire river.The confusion about the exact location of the border has resulted in differences over mineral rights in the river and grazing rights on its islands, as well as a chaotic situation with regard to fishing boats.Both countries claim that, with no clear-cut boundary, they are unable to prosecute fishing vessels for trespassing on the river.Iyambo and Sonjica agreed that a number of further studies be initiated to improve the quality of water and environment management and that both ministers should improve the monitoring and operation of the existing dams on the river.They also agreed that users be encouraged to conserve water, and that a new dam be considered at Noordoewer-Vioolsdrift to regulate the flow of water.