The Kunene Regional Council says it was never informed about the mass recruitment drive conducted by Kaoko Fria Investment (Pty) Ltd, the company claiming to be behind the proposed Kaoko Fria Smart City in Kunene.
The recruitment exercise, which saw thousands of mostly young jobseekers gathering in Windhoek’s Havana informal settlement last week to submit their CVs, has raised eyebrows after the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism distanced itself from the project.
The proposed smart city is said to include a port and urban development at Cape Fria/Angra Fria within the Skeleton Coast National Park, a gazetted protected area.
Environment minister Indileni Daniel went on record stating that no authorisation had been granted for the development of a smart city inside the national park.
“The Ministry has noted with shock the registration for employment for people to work at a proposed Kaoko Fria Smart City set for development by a certain private company,” she said.
Daniel stressed that proposals of this nature are not new. Similar requests, she said, were made in 2013, 2017 and 2022 by other companies.
They were all rejected.
“Such developments within a national park would tarnish the conservation and tourism development reputation of Namibia,” she said.
The minister made it clear that only the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism can grant permission for any land use within a national park under the Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1975, as amended in 1996.
“No such permission was given to Kaoko Fria Investment for the said proposed city,” she stated.
The ministry further emphasised that the Skeleton Coast National Park was proclaimed to protect ecological integrity for present and future generations in line with Article 95 (L) of the Constitution.
The project is a mega-infrastructure initiative aimed at repositioning Namibia as a premier Atlantic maritime gateway for Southern Africa and its continental hinterland.
It is located at Cape Fria/Angra Fria in the Kunene region.
It includes a deep-sea port, a master-planned smart city, an international airport, a dry port at Katima Mulilo, and a dedicated rail-and-road logistics corridor, establishing direct connectivity between inland Namibia, regional markets, and global trade routes.
Regional council
Meanwhile, Kunene Regional Council chairperson and Opuwo Rural councillor Western Muharukua said the council was sidelined.
“I express my profound disappointment at being bypassed in the planning and execution of the Kaoko Fria Smart City project,” he said.
According to Muharukua, neither the regional councillors nor constituency councillors were consulted.
“The company spearheading this initiative has proceeded without any consultation with the Kunene regional councillors or even constituency councillors. This exclusion undermines the authority of elected representatives and disregards the voices of our communities,” he said.
He questioned why the recruitment drive took place in Windhoek while residents of Kunene only saw developments on television.
“How come the queue for jobseekers starts in the Khomas region, and the Kunene people could only see it on TV?” he asked.
Muharukua also raised concerns about reports that certain traditional leaders were engaged while the regional council was sidelined.
“How come that a certain chief is engaged in this and sidelines the regional council and the majority of Kunene people?” he questioned.
He stressed that Kunene is not against development.
“Namibians should know that Kunene regional councillors are not against development. We want development. But development must be inclusive, transparent and accountable,” he said. “What is the hidden agenda in this?” he added.
Response
Responding to the ministry’s position, Kaoko Fria Investment spokesperson Immanuel Nghifikwa defended the project, saying the company has complied with legal and environmental requirements.
“Kaoko Fria Investment reaffirms compliance, transparency and constitutional commitment regarding the Kaoko Fria Smart City project,” he said.
Nghifikwa stated that since 2021, the company has engaged various stakeholders. He said the project was presented by Michael Petrus and Founding President Sam Nujoma to traditional authorities in the northern regions.
Project documents were submitted to the ministry in November 2023 and uploaded to the Environmental Information Service Namibia eLibrary in 2024, he added.
“The recently completed environmental and social impact assessment, combined with integrated feasibility and master planning frameworks, was formally submitted and signed on 9 February 2026,” Nghifikwa said.
He added that the assessment was conducted under approved Environmental Scoping Reports and Terms of Reference.
“To date, Kaoko Fria Investment has not received formal written feedback on the status of the submitted ESIA. We remain patient and respectful of the institutional process,” he said.
Nghifikwa further clarified that no development activity has commenced within the proclaimed national park.
“The company is currently preparing a formal deproclamation,” he said.
Quoting the late Nujoma, Nghifikwa said, “Cape Fria, the land is for free. Take Namibians to Cape Fria!”
He insisted the smart city is “not a self-centred project, but a project for the Namibian people,” adding that feasibility studies confirm its technical, financial, environmental and social viability.
Efforts to obtain comment from Kunene governor Vipuakuje Muharukua were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
Feasibility
Last year, this publication reported that the Kaoko Fria Investment has completed the feasibility study of the Kaoko Fria Smart City and Deep-Sea Port.
The project is environmentally acceptable, technically feasible, economically justified and financially bankable, according to the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Integrated Feasibility Study.
“This is a very costly exercise. We are talking about privately injecting millions of dollars to complete these feasibility studies, but what is very important is ploughing back into the community. Putting people first must always be the guiding principle,” Kaoko Fria Investment managing director Michael Petrus said at the time.
The promises are to anchor industrialisation, value addition, MSME participation, skills development, and large-scale employment creation, particularly for the youth.
It is anticipated to directly support the government’s seven priority areas and eight critical economic enablers, including transport and logistics, mining, energy, oil, fisheries, agriculture, and water.
Moreover, the studies reveal a surge in the total capital investment in the project from the initial US$74 billion to an estimated US$100 billion (about N$1.5 trillion).
The investment is structured for phased implementation through public–private partnerships, port concessions, and long-term institutional and sovereign investment.
Prospective investors were encouraged to follow formal engagement protocols through official government channels and thereafter engage the Kaoko Fria team.
The Kaoko Fria Smart City adopts an inclusive yet sovereign investment model, with 70% of the project’s equity reserved for Namibian and African shareholders, while 30% is allocated to international strategic partners, ensuring African ownership, local value retention, and global collaboration.
---
Autor(en)/Author(s): Lahja Nashuuta
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: New Era Live, 02.03.2026
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
