A significant contributing factor to the lack of rehabilitation of closed mining sites in Namibia is a weakness in the mining and environmental legislation.

To address this issue, the ministries of Mines and Energy, as well as Environment, are taking steps to amend the existing laws that would require mining companies to include closure plans as part of their licence application process.

According to statistics from 2018, Namibia had more than 200 abandoned mining sites, which pose significant environmental threats and have a detrimental impact on the surrounding communities.

Recognising the urgency of addressing this issue, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, along with the Chamber of Mines and other stakeholders, has developed a mining closure framework that would serve as a guide for the industry, providing essential guidelines and procedures for the rehabilitation of mining sites.

Jessica Bezuidenhout, a principal environmental practitioner at the Chamber of Mines, has affirmed the commitment of the chamber to ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Mines to ensure the conversion of the mining closure framework into law.