In Swakopmund we not only live near the fish-rich Benguela Current, whose cold waters originating from Antarctica flow northwards along the Namibian coast from the Cape of Good Hope.

In our immediate vicinity there are also uranium mines. One of them is called Rössing and that is still the name of the golf course that was built by the company back then. The mine is located 70 km inland from Swakopmund and is the largest open-cast uranium mine in the world. It has been in operation since 1976 and has an annual capacity of around 3,800 tons. (Namibia is one of the world’s leading mining nations for diamonds, uranium, zinc and fluorspar. Gold, copper, lead and salt as well as numerous other minerals are also mined. As of December 31, 2020, almost 9,000 people were permanently employed in mining busy.)

In July 2019, CNCU (China National Uranium Corporation) took over the Rössing mine, which previously belonged to the Australian Rio Tinto Group. (The Chinese will probably take over the whole world at the end!) At the same time, the Chinese also took over the Langer Heinrich uranium mine. It was shut down a few years ago; but it will go back into operation in 2024 because the price of uranium is rising.

It is understandable that the residents of Swakopmund are concerned about their health with the uranium mines in their area. In order to reduce this, the Scientific Society Swakopmund – we have been members since two years – organized the lecture «Introduction to radiation and uranium for members of the public». This took place on December 6, 2023 at the Namibian Uranium Institute.

What impressed me most was that Dr. Gunhild von Oertzen, did not misuse this lecture as a promotional event for nuclear energy. Dangers (Chernobyl and Fukushima) were discussed, as were problems with disposal. But it also became clear that uranium mining does not have any negative consequences for the health of the residents of this region. (Unlike smoking and obesity!)

PS: If you want to know more about the Rössing mine, read the message from the Chinese chairman.