Chief Tjindunda raises concern over Gecko Mining operations

OPUWO – Chief Muhijamo Tjindunda of Ehomba in the Kunene region’s Epupa Constituency has expressed uncertainty about where small-scale miners in Ouroutumba Village can legally operate amid concerns over the boundaries of Gecko Mining’s Exclusive Prospecting Licence (EPL).

Tjindunda, during an engagement with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources at Ouroutumba in the Epupa Constituency on Tuesday, said community members are struggling to understand the extent of Gecko’s mining rights and how these affect their access to mineral-rich areas which they depend on for their livelihoods.

He said residents have encountered people conducting mineral exploration in areas where community members traditionally access minerals, leaving them uncertain about what they are legally permitted to do. Tjindunda said the community was not against mining, but wanted clarity on how mining rights were granted and how residents would benefit from mineral resources found in their area.