Auditor-General Junias Kandjeke has sent a stern warning about serious rule-breaking in Namibia's gold-mining industry, calling into question how well the sector is monitored and how open its dealings really are. 

His sweeping audit, which he presented to the Minister of Finance and tabled in the National Assembly, lists a long list of slip-ups by big mining firms on key legal duties such as renewing licences, proving who really owns assets, and ploughing profits back into local communities.

The document shows that companies, including heavyweight QKR Namibia Navachab Gold Mine Pty Ltd and B2Gold Namibia, have not lived up to the law when it comes to sharing know-how and technology with Namibians. 

It also notes that six out of thirteen exploration licences (EPLs) were renewed illegally past the seven-year mark, some approved neither by the minister nor backed by proper paperwork, casting serious doubt on the trustworthiness of the country's entire mineral-licensing system.

Perhaps the biggest red flag is the old and patchy ownership data linked to many of the permits, with files missing or incomplete on who really benefits from the mines and what land rights are in place. Such gaps in the documentation threaten land security for communities and could leave the government blind to how its valuable mineral assets are managed.

Kandjeke argues that this audit lays bare deep cracks in the country's regulatory system and enforcement, urging swift reforms to restore credibility and protect both resources and citizens.