Letter of Protest to NORAD/Norconsult on Their Role in Epupa Dam

This letter was written by the Society for Threatened Peoples and sent to both Norconsult and NORAD, both of Norway and both involved in the Epupa Dam feasibility study.

To: Norconsult Director
Rolf Skaar
P.O. Box 626
N–1301 Sandvika
Fax: 0047/67549590

And: NORAD Director
Tove Stand Gerhardsen
P.O. Box 8034 dep
N–0030 Oslo
Fax: 0047/22314401

Stop Pushing the Dam Project in Northern Namibia!
Don't Twist the Words of the Affected Himba People! 

Dear Sirs,

The company Norconsult and the Norwegian governmental development agency NORAD are among those who ordered and funded a feasibility study for the erection of a dam at the river Kunene marking the Angolan–Namibian border. Late in October this study was pub lished by the Namibian planning company Burmeister & Partner (it can be consulted via internet at www. burmeister.com.na).

This study is incomplete, because the huge disquisition lacks a chapter on the mitigation of social consequences of the project. Depending on the variant chosen, up to 1.000 members of the Himba would have to abandon their settlements and up to 9.000 would lose the pasture ground for their cattle and other natural resources needed for their traditional lifestyle of semi–nomads.

Since for such a project today every respectable funder or politician involved in development politics justly requests that the mitigation of social consequences is integrated in the plans from the very outset, in the summer of 1997 the Namibian government urged that the consultation of the Himba affected be finished in January 1998, so that the political decision about the dam can be taken in February. Currently two possible dam sites are being considered: One near Epupa and one in the Baynes mountains.

At first the Namibian government appointed a lecturer of the University of Windhoek, Mr. Tjipangandjara, to carry out the questioning. This man, well known in Namibia as a supporter of the dam project, had encountered those affected in an arrogant manner and was declined as a partner for the talks by the traditional Himba chiefs. Subsequently Norconsult entrusted the task to the German ethnologist and Himba expert Dr. Michael Bollig (University of Cologne). When the Society for Threatened Peoples inquired of Mr. Bollig about the matter, he said he had carried out consultations with about 30 Himba and Herero chiefs around November 23, in the presence of Mr. Andrew Corbett (Legal Assistance Center, Windhoek) the legal representative of the Himba community a ffected. During the talks the Himba declared that they were opposed to both variants of the dam project (near Epupa and in the Baynes mountains). According to Bollig they also refused to enter any discussions about compensations.

This position of the Himba is in harsh contrast to the informations spread by Norconsult about the consultation process. According to the Norwegian Association for International Water and Forest Studies FIVAS Norconsult is saying that the Himba accepted t o start with negociations about compensations. The opposite is true: They still do not want to give up the land where their ancestors are buried.

Herewith the Society for Threatened Peoples calls on Norconsult and also on NORAD as financing body: Take the Himba seriously as negotiating partners and to stop twisting their words. These people's stance is clear: If the dam at the Kunene is erected, the construction of roads to the dam, the settlement of workers etc. will critically harm or even entirely destroy the traditional economy and culture of them.

In July 1997, invited by FIVAS, the Society for Threatened Peoples and several other environmental and human rights organizations from Europe, the two Himba chiefs Hikuminue Kapika and Paulus Tjavara visited Norway. As legitimate speakers of the Himba dir ectly affected by the dam project they made it clear to representatives of Norconsult and NORAD that they are opposed to both variants of the project. At the time, you did the minimum and promised them that the Himba be consulted adequately.

Indeed, meanwhile Norconsult has partially fulfilled this promise, but such consultations are inevitably degraded to an alibi if incorrect information on their results are spread. We also protest against the unreasonable speed in which the consultations a re carried out. A completion of the feasibiliy study on such a fragile ground would be tantamount to betraying the Namibian, Norwegian and international public. After the Swedish development agency SIDA has withdrawn, NORAD seems to be the only internatio nal institution who is interested in this project. The World Bank, the European Union, Dresdner Bank and many others expressed their doubts even in the economical ratio of a dam at the Kunene river.

With best regards,

Tilman Zÿlch
President of the
Society for Threatened Peoples

Dr. Andreas Selmeci
Africa Referee of the
Society for Threatened Peoples