When a copper mine began operating in //Huab Conservancy of Namibia in 2021Rock explosions and heavy machinery disturbed critically endangered southern black rhinos and they left the area. When mining activity was temporarily halted in early 2022 due to investment concerns, the rhinos returned. Two other conservancies referenced it when they filed an urgent interdict to try to block a new open-cast tin mine in the northwest Kunene region.

The Uibasen Twyfelfontein Conservancy and the Doro!Nawas Conservancy, alongside tourism operator Ultimate Safaris, say they are concerned that if the mine continues, which has happened at //Huab – confirmed in a report from mapping commissioned by the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. and Save the Rhino Trust Namibia Tourism – will breed within their jointly managed conservation area. The displacement of black rhinos linked to mining (Two-cornered diceros) in //Huab resulted in Ultimate Safaris closing its camp and the reserve losing its only source of income.

The first signs of disruption from the proposed new mine have already emerged, said Uibasen conservation manager Laurensia //Naobes. “There was once a quiet river bed where mining activities took place, with varied wildlife such as antelope, ostriches and springbok. They moved because of human disturbance,” she told Mongabay by telephone. She said they were seeing the black rhinos becoming stressed and starting to move away.

The Doro Joint Management Area covers 19,000 hectares (47,000 acres) and is managed by three community conservancies – Uibasen Twyfelfontein, Doro Nawas and Sorris Sorris – and Ultimate Safaris, which transferred its black rhino tourism operations from //Huab after the movement of the rhinos. . The conservation profile of the three reserves is similar to that of //Huab, where a population of southern black rhino was reintroduced under a Ministry of Environment program in 2008.

//Naobes and his co-plaintiffs claim there are major flaws in the environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and issuance of environmental clearance certificates (ECCs) for 18 mining claims held by two miners. They also claim that the consultation process was inadequate, as neither affected communities nor other stakeholders, such as Save the Rhino Trust or Ultimate Safaris, were taken into account.

Ottilie Ndimulunde and Timoteus Mashuna each obtained environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism in 2023 and 2024, and obtained their mining concessions in June 2024.

Since August, when the first heavy vehicles arrived to build a road to the mining site, the conservancies have filed a series of urgent interdict applications against the two miners, asking the court to order mining to stop while their mining claims were being examined. Although a ban was still in place against Mashuna, the one against Ndimulunde was lifted after Environment Commissioner Timoteus Mufeti issued a compliance order in October.

In his inspection report in response to the interdict against miner Ndimulunde in October, Mufeti wrote that Ndimulunde had “met the minimum requirements regarding consultations with interested and affected parties and stakeholders”. It also concluded that it generally complied with the conditions set out in the environmental clearance certificate.

Mufeti’s decision overturned the ban against Ndimulunde, who had temporarily halted his mining operations, prompting the conservancies to seek another one due to the “imminent and continuing threat caused by mining activity.”

“We hope the court will hear the cry of local rural communities to stop this mining as it is not beneficial to the community and also harms the environment. We are losing,” Naobes said.

On December 2, the court granted the interdict. The two miners are now prohibited from carrying out any further work on the road leading to the disputed claims or any mining activity until the High Court reviews them. The review is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.

Banner image: A rhino in the //Huab reserve: The Namibian government introduced black rhinos into several community reserves in 2009. The animals thrived, enabling the creation of successful tourism businesses. Image courtesy of Marcus Westberg Photography/Save the Rhino Trust.

Namibian community protects its rhinos from poaching but could lose them to mining

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