Swanu president and MP, Evilastus Kaaronda, tabled a motion in the National Assembly urging the government to take full control of its key economic sectors.

Kaaronda argued that foreign dominance over the country's natural resources has long deprived ordinary Namibians of the benefits they rightfully deserve.

Pointing to major industries, such as diamonds under De Beers, the oil and gas sector, green hydrogen projects, and the lucrative fisheries industry, he stressed that there is no need for the state to be a minority or even equal shareholder, saying it was time for the state to take on the role of majority owner of these critical resources.

"For instance, mining activities, including oil and gas extraction, coal mining, metal coal, non-metallic minerals, and mining enquiries, as well as mining support services, should be locally owned and controlled by the state. Ownership of different mines should be dominated by locals as opposed to foreign nationals."

Mining companies should be obliged to make significant social responsibility investments within the communities where they operate, he says, while foreigners should not be allowed to enter rural areas and simply mine at their own free will.

He advocated for the enactment of strict laws, rules, and regulations to curb the dominance of foreign multinationals in the extraction of Namibia's natural resources.

"The current situation where certain nations are monopolising the mining industry to the detriment of our people, who live in deep poverty where our children are dying of food poisoning by eating alcohol residues, should stop. In any event, mines such as Usab and Swakop uranium are essentially owned by the Chinese or the Chinese government, yet the Namibian government finds it okay to ask the Chinese government for soft loans. How can we give wealth to foreign nationals only to ask them for money when they make the very same money selling our natural resources?"

Kaaronda commended the president for her decision to bring the oil and gas portfolio under her direct control and expressed optimism that this is a prelude to establishing state ownership so that Namibians can benefit from their own resources.