Justicia Shipena
Four United Nations human rights experts have asked the Namibian government to explain what steps it is taking to address the impact of the Tsumeb Smelter on local communities.
In a report dated 11 June 2025, the experts raised “serious concern” over environmental damage and human rights violations linked to the smelter.
The facility has been in operation since 1963, producing blister copper and sulphuric acid.
Ownership has shifted over the years from Weatherly International to Dundee Precious Metals, which later sold it to the Chinese-owned Sinomine Resource Group Corporation Limited in 2024 for N$930 million (about US$49 million).
Each sale included clauses that exempted previous owners from liability. The UN experts said these provisions “foster de facto impunity.”
The experts said pollution from decades of smelting has contaminated the air, soil, and water, placing residents and workers at risk.
Testimonies in their communication reported respiratory illnesses, skin conditions, infertility, miscarriages, and malformations in newborns. Workers described being denied access to independent medical care and intimidated when requesting health records.
According to them, studies have found elevated levels of arsenic, cadmium, and lead in crops, groundwater, and municipal taps.
Witnesses mentioned in the 15-page document spoke of brown-tinted water and residues, which they linked to hair loss, abdominal pain, and fever.
The experts also drew attention to structural inequalities dating back to apartheid.
They noted that Namibians remain disproportionately affected, as many rely on the smelter for employment but receive lower wages and face fewer opportunities than their white colleagues.
The report questioned why the government approved the 2024 sale of the smelter without requiring environmental rehabilitation or medical examinations for affected residents.
The experts also accused both the state and smelter management of blocking independent research and withholding information on health and environmental risks.
“We urge that all necessary interim measures be taken to halt the alleged violations and prevent their reoccurrence,” the experts said.
The Namibian government has not yet issued a public response.
