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THE minister of mines and energy, Tom Alweendo, has confirmed that investigations are under way in response to allegations of ministry officials accepting a N$50 million bribe from a Chinese company.

The widely shared social media post named Alweendo as one of the bribery beneficiaries –
something he has vehemently denied.

“This is a malicious slander against my person. Throughout my professional career, I promoted good governance and spoke out against corruption; that hasn’t changed,” said Alweendo on social media over the weekend.

He said the allegations are being investigated and those found guilty of an offence must face the consequences.

“Corruption is bad and no one is above the law,” he said.

The other ministry officials mentioned in the social media post are Alweendo’s technical adviser, Ralph Muyamba, and mines commissioner Erasmus Shivolo.

The post alleged that they accepted N$50 million from Xinfeng Investment (Pty) Ltd, which is involved in lithium mining near Uis.

The alleged bribe was to block the renewal of the exploration licence (EPL) for Karlowa Mining Enterprises (Pty) Ltd, belonging to Timoteus Mashuna, in favour of positioning Orange River Mining (Pty) Ltd, which the post alleged was owned by Muyamba’s proxy, Peter Karel Shifwaku.

It was further alleged that Orange River Mining had applied for an EPL over the same area.

Shivolo did not answer his phone, nor did he respond to questions sent to him.

However, Muyamba, who has been with the ministry for 10 years, three of which he spent in Alweendo’s office, confirmed he had resigned, which the social media post had mentioned.

He refuted claims of benefiting from any Chinese mining company, and said his resignation had nothing to do with the allegations.

“The person who wrote the message took advantage of my resignation to attack me. The reason I resigned is that I am creating two companies, one for geological consulting and one for mining consulting. I have worked a lot and gained enough knowledge to make money out of a private consultancy,” he said.

Muyamba confirmed that Orange River Mining belongs to his cousin, but said he is not involved in the business.

“You can even go to the Business and Intellectual Property Authority to confirm that. I even have a brother who has a company that has mineral rights for eight years and it is his constitutional right to be in the industry,” he said.

Muyumba believes the author of the social media post is an employee of the ministry who aspires to be the executive director to take over from Simeon Negumbo, who is retiring in November.

Zhou Hao who is listed as the company’s contact person on company documents, denied knowing anything about bribery.

“I don’t know anything about that. I don’t work for that company. I resigned a long time ago,” he said.

An employee at Xinfeng who refused to divulge his identity, said: “I cannot help with information that has anything to do with that. I saw it (the message) like everybody who is on social media.”

In a text, Xinfeng operations manager known as Mr Lee described the bribery allegation as “toxic rhetoric by malicious, jealous and dangerous people”. He did not respond to follow-up messages asking him for his full name.

He also did not answer his phone.

SOUGHT-AFTER MINING LAND

For years, the original owner of Karlowa Mineral Resources, Jacobus de Klerk has been alerting the minister to the possible theft of his company and mining claims 700013/4/5/6 and 70459/60.

This is the same mineral-rich land that Orange River Mining is accused of taking from Karlowa Mining Enterprises.

De Klerk has been begging Alweendo for assistance to get his claims back as he has investors lined up.

“You instructed Ralph (Muyunda) to assist but to no avail …We are ready to mine immediately. Please take 10 minutes of your very busy schedule to read my email. Yes, I did promise not to bother you again with emails,” read the last mail sent on 13 October.

De Klerk’s company was allegedly stolen from him by Mashuna and renamed Karlowa Mining Enterprises (Pty) Ltd.

On the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) contact list, Mashuna also appears as the contact person for these claims.

The takeover of the company and claims, according to De Klerk, happened in 2016, at the time when he was in hospital recuperating from a car accident.

While he was in the hospital, his mining claims expired and no renewal was done.

It was during this time that his company, Karlowa Mineral Resources’ name was changed and other mining claims 68047, 68048 and 68049 were taken over by Karlowa Mineral Enterprises.

The claims are for zinc, tantalum and lithium.

“I was involved in a car accident and sustained a serious knock on the brain, which left me with speech defects. I spent four weeks in ICU and another eight weeks in a coma. I spent a further six or more months in the Panorama (Mediclinic) hospital,” said De Klerk.

After months of an internal investigation, MME executive director Simeon Negumbo confirmed that the mining claims – 68047, 68048 and 68049 – belonged to De Klerk from 10 November 2013 until 9 November 2015.

They were subsequently awarded to Karlowa Mining Enterprise because De Klerk did not reapply as provided for by law and/or 90 days before they expired.

“After his mining claims expired, the ministry did not receive the application(s) for renewal from the complainant until 13 October 2020, when the complainant reapplied for the claims.

Meanwhile, Karlowa Mining Enterprise applied for the same mining claims on 21 September 2016, and the claims were subsequently granted to it on 17 April 2017,” said Negumbo.