Lukato promises increased mineral enrichment

The National Democratic Party (NDP) aims to ensure at least half of Namibia’s mineral resources are processed locally.

Party leader Martin Lukato yesterday told The Namibian the NDP’s manifesto will focus on addressing the country’s high unemployment rate.

“The NDP will establish opportunity centres, which will serve as one-stop shops for small businesses and as central nodes for young jobseekers and entrepreneurs to access support,” he said.

Lukato further said the NDP will lead protected sustainable industrial development and diversification programmes to create millions of decent jobs between 2025 and 2030.

In 2023, while addressing the EU-Namibia Business Forum in Belgium, former president Hage Geingob declared that the era of exporting raw materials from Namibia is over.

Social justice activist Shaun Gariseb said Lukato is a progressive citizen.

He further said it will be interesting to see the NDP and other political parties’ manifestos.

“Promises made during election years by presidential candidates should be called proposals. It’s like marketing, when candidates present themselves as products different from others,” added Gariseb.

Social justice activist Nafimane Hamukoshi said the NDP’s approach could potentially contribute to a more equitable distribution of wealth generated from natural resources.

“Historically, many resource-rich countries in Africa, not just Namibia, face challenges where the benefits of mineral wealth have not translated into broader economic development or improved living standards for the general population,” she said.

Hamukoshi further said local beneficiation could help address the disparities by creating jobs, fostering the local industry and implementing a universal basic income grant.

She said the NDP’s manifesto appears to be focused on addressing systemic issues of inequality and economic exclusion by promoting local economic development, job creation and empowerment through targeted policies and programmes.

“These efforts could potentially contribute to more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, fostering a more just society in Namibia.”

Hamukoshi, however, noted that the effectiveness of proposals would depend on their implementation, which appears to be a major issue in Namibia.

“It will also depend on the inclusivity and sustainability over time,” she added.

Labour expert Herbert Jauch said the proposal is one of the interventions needed to create jobs.

However, Jauch said the NDP will need to be more specific about which minerals it wants to process locally, otherwise it seems like just another election promise without the necessary detail and substance.

Jauch further said Namibia needs a very different overall approach to natural resources to ensure more jobs and income for Namibians, with local beneficiation being one aspect of the process.