Forsys may destroy heritage sites

A total of six archaeological sites could be destroyed to make way for a road from the Valencia mine near Usakos to connect with the B2 highway between the capital and Swakopmund.

Uranium producer Forsys Metals Corporation has applied to the National Heritage Council (NHC) of Namibia for a permit to construct another road from the mine to connect with the highway. It is this reason that prompted the NHC to issue a notice calling on the public to submit written submissions that should be lodged within 14 days on the destruction of the sites.The closing date is October 28 2008.”Six archaeological sites will be impacted by the road works, and this impact will result in the permanent destruction of these six sites.The applicant (Forsys) therefore seeks permission to permanently destroy the archaeological sites,” the public notice said.In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, Erica Ndalikokule from the NHC said the notice was issued in terms of Section 49 of the National Heritage Act.It informs the public about the proposed development, and invites written submissions from interested parties.Ndalikokule said although the sites were identified and recorded before by the NHC, they were not yet documented and therefore not named.Seed digging sites are the visible remains of an activity dating to within the last 1 000 years in which people living in parts of the Namib Desert extracted wild grass seeds from underground catches of harvester ants.She called on the public to provide their input as the NHC is understaffed and cannot go out now and verify these facts.She said the public might also argue that there are other alternative roads, but it might be too expensive for the company and too long to connect to the highway.Also, the lifespan of the mine and whether the Council should keep the sites for future generations for research purposes, are some of the other issues to be looked at.Communities could also benefit if the sites could be developed into tourism attractions.Ndalikokule explained that it is the task of the NHC to maintain archaeological sites on behalf of the Namibian nation.She made reference to Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC), which wanted to develop a tower last year at the national monument Brandberg in order to increase the range of cellphone contact for locals and tourists in the area.Brandberg was declared a monument site in 1951, and is home to rock paintings such as the famous ‘white lady’.Ndalikokule said her office received strong submissions from the public, and the tower was never erected on the mountain but rather in the town of Uis.”There might be other alternatives for the road, and the Council relies on the public for advice.Those working in the area, such as environmentalists, should give their input as well,” she pleaded.The Ministry of Mines and Energy has granted a 25-year mining licence Number 149 to Valencia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forsys, allowing full-scale development of the mining operations to proceed.NampaIt is this reason that prompted the NHC to issue a notice calling on the public to submit written submissions that should be lodged within 14 days on the destruction of the sites.The closing date is October 28 2008.”Six archaeological sites will be impacted by the road works, and this impact will result in the permanent destruction of these six sites.The applicant (Forsys) therefore seeks permission to permanently destroy the archaeological sites,” the public notice said.In an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, Erica Ndalikokule from the NHC said the notice was issued in terms of Section 49 of the National Heritage Act.It informs the public about the proposed development, and invites written submissions from interested parties.Ndalikokule said although the sites were identified and recorded before by the NHC, they were not yet documented and therefore not named.Seed digging sites are the visible remains of an activity dating to within the last 1 000 years in which people living in parts of the Namib Desert extracted wild grass seeds from underground catches of harvester ants.She called on the public to provide their input as the NHC is understaffed and cannot go out now and verify these facts.She said the public might also argue that there are other alternative roads, but it might be too expensive for the company and too long to connect to the highway.Also, the lifespan of the mine and whether the Council should keep the sites for future generations for research purposes, are some of the other issues to be looked at.Communities could also benefit if the sites could be developed into tourism attractions.Ndalikokule explained that it is the task of the NHC to maintain archaeological sites on behalf of the Namibian nation.She made reference to Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC), which wanted to develop a tower last year at the national monument Brandberg in order to increase the range of cellphone contact for locals and tourists in the area.Brandberg was declared a monument site in 1951, and is home to rock paintings such as the famous ‘white lady’.Ndalikokule said her office received strong submissions from the public, and the tower was never erected on the mountain but rather in the town of Uis.”There might be other alternatives for the road, and the Council relies on the public for advice.Those working in the area, such as environmentalists, should give their input as well,” she pleaded.The Ministry of Mines and Energy has granted a 25-year mining licence Number 149 to Valencia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Forsys, allowing full-scale development of the mining operations to proceed.Nampa