Opposition to Namibia tobacco project hits a hurdle

Namibia’s Health Minister, Bernard Haufiku, who has been fighting to stop a planned Chinese tobacco project in the Zambezi region, has acknowledged that his efforts are hampered by a ‘loophole’ in the Tobacco Act, according to a story in The Namibian.

Haufiku said the act did not stop anyone from growing tobacco. This was a gap in the act that the Chinese company was ‘exploiting’ and that needed to be plugged.

The minister said he was reviewing the Act, and would submit suggested amendments to Cabinet soon. Thereafter the issue would be taken to parliament for debate and authorisation.

One amendment might be that no tobacco should be grown in Namibia, or that it should be grown only on one-ha pieces of land.

In March, the Ministry of Land Reform called for objections to Namibia Oriental Tobacco’s application for land at Liselo.

So far the project has received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and an export processing zone status from the Trade Ministry. And the Mafwe Traditional Authority has given the land.

But the project still needs to receive from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry authorisation for the clearing of a state forest. And authorisation for water extraction has to be obtained from the department of water affairs in the same ministry.