Judge Ramon Maasdorp has postponed the judgement in the case of Xinfeng Investment - a Chinese lithium miner whose mining license was revoked by the Ministry of Mines and Energy.  

The judgment has been set for next week Friday.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy's Acting Executive Director, Bryan Eiseb explained that they had revoked the license after Xinfeng was found to have deliberately filed incorrect information during the application process and that the company failed to adequately explain the misleading information.

The state in its defense says Xinfeng applied for an exploration license and not for a mining license, adding the company also submitted reports to the ministry that are plagiarized and did not contain enough information that specifies their activities. 

The ministry stated that it is within the state's power to recall a license, as a way to protect the environment and resources.

"The application was brought by Xinfeng to set aside the decision by the minister to revoke its license so it's a two-part application in which they seek for an interdict to stop us from revoking their license and the second part will be heard at a later day."

Xinfeng Investment argues that its application for the license was detailed and included all technical requirements, therefore, the minister cannot revoke the license.

It says the minister seemed not to have been well informed of the technical details of the application at the time of issuing the license.

The minister, Xinfeng further claims, does not indicate legal provisions that empower him to revoke the mining license.

Xinfeng is adamant that the license is still valid currently and cannot be canceled.

The lithium mining company has been in the news lately when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources visited its mining sites following complaints by the Uis and Omaruru communities that it was mining illegally there.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, also had community meetings in the said areas.

What followed then was the revoking of the mining license.

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July Nafuka