The Traditional Authorities of Kavango East and Kavango West have confirmed their support for the oil-and-gas exploration program in Namibia by Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd.
At a meeting last week in Namibia, the leaders of the five key Traditional Authorities of Kavango East and Kavango West expressed confidence that ReconAfrica’s ongoing exploration program, which has to date identified a conventional oil and gas system in the Kavango Sedimentary Basin, could provide Namibia with a new-found source of socio-economic opportunity if commercialized.
 
Hompa Eugene Siwombe, Chairperson of the Kavango Traditional Authority Committee, said ReconAfrica’s exploration program in the Region is more than welcome by the communities and lauded the Company’s efforts to support the economic and environmental aspirations of the country.
 
“Everyone is happy with the way ReconAfrica is doing the exploration. This is what we want – the liberation struggle is gone, it is now time for economic freedom. We want exploration, to know what is under the ground,” he said.
 
HompaSiwombe also recognized ReconAfrica’s commitment to communities, which includes the drilling and donation of a planned 22 potable, solar-powered water wells, 14 of which have already been completed and turned over to communities.
 
“Let the people from the community see that ReconAfrica, while exploring, is considering the people in the Region. We are indeed very thankful for the water wells as they have made the lives of our people in the Kavango regions better.”
 
HompaSiwombe’s comments were echoed by the King, HambukushuFumu Erwin MunikaMbambo, who indicated outside opposition to ReconAfrica’s project is unwarranted.
 
“We are expressing our support because we, as Traditional Leaders, are the ones on the ground and see what is really happening, not people sitting in their distant offices trying to decide what should be done,” he said.
 
At the meeting, it was decided that a leader of the Traditional Authorities would join ReconAfrica and other affected stakeholders on a committee to ensure collaboration and dialogue as the Company’s oil-and-gas exploration project proceeds. The Governors of Kavango East, Hon. BonifatiusWakudumo, and Kavango West, Hon. SirkkaAusiku, also attended the meeting and reaffirmed their support for ReconAfrica’s exploration program.
 
ReconAfrica, in collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Namibia, set out this year with a stratigraphic drilling program to prove there is an active conventional petroleum system in the Kavango Sedimentary Basin. To date, the Company has completed two stratigraphic drilling programs and a low-impact, 2D seismic project. While seismic analysis is still in progress, the released data analysis from the two stratigraphic wells confirms there is an active conventional petroleum system, with multiple potential reservoir zones within the basin.
 
Scot Evans, Chief Executive Officer of ReconAfrica, welcomed the support of the Traditional Authorities and noted that the Company is exploring in the region at the invitation of the national government of the Republic of Namibia and emphasized that the management and development of Namibia’s resources will be “determined by the people of Namibia – through their traditional authorities, elected governments and regulatory agencies.”
 
“ReconAfrica has been working collaboratively with governments, Traditional Authorities and communities of Namibia since 2019. We are grateful for the support and trust we have earned over this period and we are committed to retaining the confidence of Namibia as we move forward, together, to explore the vast potential of the Kavango Sedimentary Basin, which may ultimately lead to a new source of prosperity for the country,” Evans said. “Our goal is to ensure ReconAfrica is a positive contributor to Namibia in all ways – environmentally, socially and economically.”