MPs want ReconAfrica’s activities monitored

The parliamentary standing committee on natural resources has recommended to the Ministry of Mines and Energy to establish a committee to ensure the activities of Canadian oil and gas exploration company ReconAfrica are monitored and supervised.

The company operates in the Kavango regions of Namibia and in Botswana.

The standing committee, which consists of 28 members of parliament in the National Assembly, says the established committee should comprise the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

These recommendations are contained in a parliamentary report on the petitions of Unique Lifestyle, civil society organisations and Fridays For Future to stop oil drilling in the Kavango regions.

The report was presented to civil society at the parliament on Tuesday.

“The Ministry of Mines and Energy should initiate devising strategies to ensure consultation prior to the awarding of all licences are done with regional leaders, traditional authorities and the affected community to ensure local involvement, openness and transparency,” the standing committee said.

The parliamentarians want the mines ministry to undertake a competitive study of oil-producing countries to model the best practices prior to signing new agreements in case commercial oil is discovered, before starting production.

According to the parliamentarians, the ministry should do regular monitoring of ReconAfrica’s activities to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the licence issued.

“ . . . to develop or review the current laws or policies to ensure shareholding is not only limited to the central government, but that the communities and traditional authorities in the areas of operations are considered.

“This is not only strengthening cooperation, but will also enhance trust and instil a sense of ownership among communities and ensure prosperity for all,” they said.

The parliamentarians want offices, ministries and agencies to review existing legislation to align them with Article 100 of the Namibian Constitution, which provides for the sovereign ownership of natural resources.

“The ministry (of mines and energy) must draft a law to give effect to this provision as soon as possible, including on how locals would have direct access to the natural resources in their local areas,” the committee recommended in its report.

The parliamentarians also want the agriculture ministry to charge some of its officials over alleged dishonesty and the failure to carry out their assigned duties, which constitute incompetence.

“The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform is to institute the applicable penalties to ReconAfrica for the failure to comply with the Communal Land Reform of 2002 regulation (45) (2) (b) and the Water Resources Management Act of 2013, part 12 (56) (1),” the parliamentarians recommended.

ReconAfrica spokesperson Ndapewoshali Shapwanale said the company cannot comment on the matter.

Ministry of Mines and Energy spokesperson Ten Hasheela said yesterday she was not in a position to respond, as the petroleum commissioner Maggy Shino was not in office for content validation and fact-checking.