Mining company Osino Resources has started digging up the remains of people buried at its site, situated about 10km outside Karibib on Okawayo Farm, to enable gold mining activities to kick off.
The relatives of those buried there were, however, brokenhearted, as they were not invited to witness the exhumation process.
Canadian-based mining company Osino Resources owns the Twin Hill Gold Project.
However, on the farm lie four graves that are older than 50 years and belong to the Auxab family.
Over the last year and a half, Osino has engaged with the relatives of those buried on the farm, offering them N$800,000 in compensation, which the family turned down.
The family instead demanded N$30 million.
After the mining company and the relatives of the deceased failed to come to an agreement on compensation, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Osino Resources gave the go-ahead for the remains to be exhumed without the relatives of those buried on the farm present.
Helmut !Auxab is the grandson of those buried there. “We just heard rumours in the location that the graves were being removed, and when we got here, the people were actually busy removing the graves of both my grandparents. Oh, I feel very bad. I last saw them when I was very young, and they passed on. I think it was in 1961 that we buried them, so I don’t feel good. I am not happy.”
The gate to the gravesite was locked to not allow the present two family members, their lawyer, and other sympathisers to enter.
!Auxab pleaded with Osino’s country manager to be allowed to enter and witness the digging up of his grandparents’ remains, but was denied permission.
In a Zoom interview with the nbc, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Osino Resources, Heye Daun, explained that failure to come to common ground with the family made him take a decision in line with the legislation only.
The remains will be kept with Nambob to allow the 29 members of the family related to the exhumed graves to come to a uniform agreement, which the mine might consider.
The Karibib Town Council has given approval for the remains to be buried at the Karibib cemetery.
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