Justicia Shipena
Karibib Town Council has rejected claims that marble dust and related by-products distributed in the town contain asbestos fibres.
This follows a report circulating this week alleging that marble mining and processing waste has been illegally dumped across Karibib and that some of the dust contains asbestos fibres that pose long-term health risks to residents.
On Thursday, Karibib Town Council Chief Executive Officer Tangeni Enkono said independent laboratory testing was carried out in June 2025 on marble dust and related by-products referred to as marble waste.
Enkono said the testing was conducted by National Environmental Health Consultants CC, a Namibian institution that specialises in asbestos inspection, testing and monitoring.
He said samples were obtained from UWM Mineral Processing and Best Cheer Stone Group.
The results confirmed that no asbestos fibres were detected in any of the materials analysed.
Asbestos fibres are very small mineral threads that occur naturally in certain types of rock.
They cannot be seen with the naked eye. When disturbed, they can become airborne and be inhaled. Long-term exposure can damage the lungs and cause serious illness.
Based on the laboratory findings, Enkono said there is no confirmation of asbestos contamination in the marble sand distributed to residents.
He said the marble dust, sand and waste made available as affordable building and landscaping material does not contain asbestos.
The report was allegedly compiled by an independent US-based researcher.
It claims the dumping has been taking place since before January 2026 and has continued over time. The allegation is against Best Cheer Stone Group, one of the town’s marble processing companies.
It further alleges that the Karibib Town Council cooperated in distributing the waste to residents as a landscaping product.
Best Cheer Stone Group has since denied the allegations.
The council said it is open to receiving the researcher’s findings and details of the sampling areas, as this information has not yet been shared with the council.
Enkono also said the council has not authorised, nor knowingly facilitated, the distribution of hazardous materials to residents.
He said the council remains committed to complying with environmental management and public health laws and treats any allegation of potential health risks seriously.
