The Daure Daman Traditional Authority does not want a repeat of what happened when mines in its area of jurisdiction closed down.

The Traditional Authority says the mine closures led to wanton joblessness and poverty within the community.

It says it is not against national projects in its area but has re-iterated that priority must be given to locals.

The leader of the Daure Daman Traditional Authority, Gaob Zacharias Seibeb, made reference to the closure of the Uis Tin Mine in 1991, which led to a massive loss of employment and an exodus of people from Uis.

Xingfeng Investment has admitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources that a monthly service fee of N$10,000 is being paid to the Daure Daman Traditional Authority for a consent letter.

The Daure Daman Traditional Authority struggled to answer questions by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources regarding illegal lithium mining at Uis.

The committee was not satisfied with the answers given by the traditional leaders and threatened to subpoena the Daure Daman Traditional Authority to reveal the truth under oath.