The Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association (SAUMA) has become the leading organised voice opposing in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium mining in the Stampriet Artesian Basin, a transboundary groundwater system shared by Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Though the association does not publicly list its founders, it identifies itself as a coalition of commercial and communal farmers, tourism operators, landowners and small businesses whose livelihoods depend entirely on the basin’s freshwater.
SAUMA emerged in response to Headspring Investments’ intention to extract uranium using ISR—also known as in-situ leaching—inside the very aquifer that supplies drinking water to communities in Leonardville, Aranos, Aminius, Stampriet and Gochas. In this water-scarce region with no perennial rivers, the basin is more than a hydrological asset; it is the backbone of the local economy.
As Dr Roy Miller put it at the SADC-GMI Groundwater Conference in Windhoek in November 2022, “The only water is underground. It is the lifeblood of all farms in the waterless Kalahari.”
SAUMA argues that ISR poses an unacceptable risk because it requires injecting acid into the aquifer to dissolve uranium, then pumping the solution back to the surface.
The association warns that if leaching fluids escape the controlled mining zone, uranium, radium, arsenic, and other heavy metals could move into the wider aquifer system.
Miller cautioned at the same conference that in-situ leaching “releases the radioactive decay products of the uranium into aquifer water… and dissolves heavy metals in the aquifer sandstone.”
The group maintains that the Stampriet Basin is geologically unsuitable for ISR: the ore sits inside the very aquifer used for drinking water, under high artesian pressure, and sandstone layers are often interconnected through fractures and weak boundaries.
Abandoned boreholes drilled over the decades add more potential pathways for contamination.
As Miller stressed, “No acid leach operation in drinking water aquifers.”
Another expert, hydrogeologist Dr Stephen Emslie, told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources that ISR is fundamentally incompatible with the Stampriet Basin’s hydrology.
He explained that any dissolved contaminants would move horizontally or vertically through connected formations and cannot simply be pumped out.
He said aquifer restoration after ISR has never succeeded anywhere in the world, and Namibia lacks the regulatory capacity to monitor the thousands of injection and recovery wells needed for such a project.
Even one casing failure, he warned, would release a contamination plume that could migrate long after mining stops.
SAUMA insists it is not opposed to mining in principle, but opposes mining inside a drinking-water aquifer.
The group has repeatedly called for independent hydrogeological studies, rigorous water-flow modelling and baseline water-quality data before any approvals are considered.
They argue that once contamination enters the aquifer, restoring water to drinking quality is nearly impossible—and that the socio-economic damage would extend across borders and into export markets.
As Miller warned, even the perception of contamination could damage Namibia’s reputation for clean agricultural produce: “This would be a disaster for the whole of Namibia.”
These concerns were reinforced during SAUMA’s meeting held on 20 January 2022 in Windhoek, where the association sharpened its strategy.
A key resolution was that SAUMA would actively search for an independent international specialist in ISR mining to advise the association.
Several candidate CVs were reviewed, and four experts were shortlisted.
SAUMA tasked its representatives with drafting cover letters, conflict-of-interest declarations and non-disclosure requirements, while also negotiating consultation fees, scopes of work and the terms under which such an expert could guide the association.
The meeting also focused on SAUMA’s legal standing—whether it needs to register as a formal entity to enter into agreements and who would be legally accountable in the event of disputes.
The committee agreed to seek guidance from the Legal Assistance Centre and the Namibia Agricultural Union’s legal advisers.
Because ISR threatens groundwater quality, SAUMA stressed the need for scientifically sound baseline water sampling.
The hydrogeologist attached to the association was asked to design a national protocol to help the public collect, handle and transport samples correctly. Quotations for independent sampling of the Stampriet Aquifer are being sourced.
The committee finalised a response to The Namibian newspaper for distribution to all media houses and discussed the status of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
Members agreed to press Environmental Compliance Consultancy (ECC) for clarity on when the long-delayed EIA would be released, and encouraged all interested and affected parties to do the same.
SAUMA also planned further public engagement, including a presentation by Dr Miller, outreach to governors and traditional authorities, and briefing sessions for diplomatic missions such as the British High Commission, the German Embassy and the Botswana High Commission.
Members discussed enlisting a widely recognised public figure to amplify awareness, noting that high-profile advocacy has shaped debates in other controversial resource-development projects.
A formal petition was proposed, with follow-up delegated to one of Dr Miller’s contacts.
Throughout these initiatives, SAUMA’s position remains firm: the long-term security of the Stampriet Aquifer outweighs any short-term gains from uranium extraction. For communities living in the Kalahari, the loss of groundwater would be irreversible.
