Also known as: Minister of mines and energy Tom Alweendo
Tom Alweendo — former Minister of Mines and Energy, calls for local institutional capacity in oil and gas sector.
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The Namibian
Tom Alweendo confirmed lead had been detected in blood of 18 children near zinc mine
“In 2023, then mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo confirmed that lead had been detected in the blood of 18 children living near the zinc mine.”
Rosh Pinah families battle lead poisoningWindhoek Observer
Tom Alweendo called on Namibia's financial sector to prepare for emerging oil and gas industry
“Former minister of mines and energy, Tom Alweendo has called on Namibia's financial sector to prepare for the country's emerging oil and gas industry, warning that discoveries alone will not translate into economic prosperity without strong institutions, financing capacity and local participation.”
Alweendo urges Namibia to prepare financial sector for oil and gas economyWindhoek Observer
Tom Alweendo warned that local banks remaining outside oil and gas sector risks financial benefits flowing elsewhere
“However, he warned that if Namibian banks and financial institutions remained outside the sector's value chain, the country risked seeing much of the financial benefits flow elsewhere.”
Alweendo urges Namibia to prepare financial sector for oil and gas economyInformanté
Tom Alweendo called on local banks and financial institutions to take a more active role in Namibia's oil and gas industry
“THE former Minister of Mines and Energy, Tom Alweendo, has called on local banks and financial institutions to take a more active role in Namibia's emerging oil and gas industry, warning that failure to do so will leave the country's financial value chain in the hands of foreign institutions.”
Alweendo calls for greater local financial participation in oil and gas sectorInformanté
Tom Alweendo warned that if banking sector remains weak, foreign capital will extract and leave limited local capability behind
“Alweendo warned that if that bridge is weak, foreign capital will come, extract what it needs and leave limited local capability behind.”
Alweendo calls for greater local financial participation in oil and gas sectorWindhoek Observer
Tom Alweendo was serving as Deputy Governor of BoN when coin was minted in 1996
“The commemorative coin was first minted in 1996, during the tenure of Tom Alweendo as Deputy Governor of the BoN.”
BoN honours Frank Fredericks with long-overdue commemorative coinWindhoek Observer
Tom Alweendo argued that Namibia inherited one of the most unequal income distributions in the world
“Economist and former Bank of Namibia Governor Tom Alweendo, before entering politics, repeatedly argued that Namibia inherited "one of the most unequal income distributions in the world", warning that political liberation alone would not dismantle structural inequality.”
The Long Shadow of Apartheid: Why Namibia Remains One of the World’s Most Unequal NationsThe Namibian
Tom Alweendo called on the government to publish a clear implementation plan for Namibia's mineral agreements with China
“Former mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo has called on the government to publish a clear implementation plan for Namibia's new mineral agreements with China.”
Alweendo demands plan for China mining agreementsThe Namibian
Tom Alweendo said the task is to move from diplomatic language to an industrial plan
“"The task now is to move from diplomatic language to an industrial plan that investors can finance and Namibians can measure," he said on social media on Monday.”
Alweendo demands plan for China mining agreementsThe Namibian
Tom Alweendo is the CEO and founder of Alvenco Advisory
“Tom Alweendo is the CEO and founder of Alvenco Advisory.”
Bankable Value Addition is Africa’s Next TestFamilies living and working near Rosh Pinah Zinc mine are struggling with lead exposure and health effects; one father's toddler tested at 17.8 micrograms per 100ml of blood, while the father himself tested at 18 micrograms per 100ml and reports memory problems and skin scarring he attributes to lead poisoning.
1 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Families living and working near Rosh Pinah Zinc mine are struggling with lead exposure and health effects; one father's toddler tested at 17.8 micrograms per 100ml of blood, while the father himself tested at 18 micrograms per 100ml and reports memory problems and skin scarring he attributes to lead poisoning.
1 October 2026 · The Namibian →
Former mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo told a Bank of Namibia seminar that Namibia's financial institutions must build capacity to participate in the emerging oil and gas sector, warning that discoveries alone will not translate into prosperity without strong institutions, financing capacity and local participation.
5 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Tom Alweendo, former Minister of Mines and Energy, has called on local banks and financial institutions to play a more active role in Namibia's oil and gas industry, warning that without their participation the financial value chain—including advisory fees and project structuring—will be captured by foreign institutions.
4 August 2026 · Informanté →
The Bank of Namibia officially presented athletics legend Frank Fredericks with a commemorative coin that was minted in his honour in 1996 but had never been handed over until now.
1 August 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Thirty-six years after independence, Namibia remains one of the world's most unequal nations despite political stability, vast natural resources and upper-middle-income status. Nearly one million Namibians live in informal settlements and youth unemployment is high, with wealth concentrated among a small segment of society, a legacy of colonial and apartheid-era policies.
31 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Former mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo has called on the government to publish a clear implementation plan for Namibia's nine cooperation agreements with China signed during a presidential state visit in July, saying the country must move from diplomatic agreements to concrete industrial planning with measurable economic benefits and identify priority minerals, processing stages, infrastructure gaps, and annual targets for investment and exports.
14 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Mineworkers' Union of Namibia channels members' dues through Namibia Miners Investment Trust (Namit) and Nam-Mic Holdings, which have grown into a N$900-million portfolio with stakes in banks, mines, hotels and other sectors. Members and their representatives say they have seen little benefit from their decades of contributions and allege lack of transparency and financial irregularities.
21 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Southern Africa is entering a new minerals cycle driven by the energy transition and demand for critical minerals, giving Namibia and the SADC region a chance to capture deeper industrial value through local processing. Success requires more than regulation — it demands reliable electricity, water, environmental systems, skilled technicians, infrastructure, finance and customers.
10 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's offshore oil is legally owned by investors with 90%, while the state receives revenue through taxes and royalties, limiting the country's control over development decisions and ability to secure local benefits. President Nandi-Ndaitwah has positioned the delayed petroleum amendment bill as critical to strengthening the state's bargaining position on local content, job creation, and value retention, though fundamental investor control over operations cannot be altered.
25 April 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Acting judge David Mangota ruled that Zambezi Exploration's urgent application to restrain the minister of industries, mines and energy from implementing a decision about a petroleum exploration licence for block 2812A did not meet the requirements to be heard as urgent, finding the urgency was self-created because the company delayed action after learning of a rival's relinquishment in January 2023. The judge ordered Zambezi Exploration to pay the legal costs of the minister and Vena Gemstones & Mining, the company that was awarded the licence.
21 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Red Soil Energy has appealed to the Supreme Court over the mines ministry's 2021 rejection of its petroleum exploration licence application for four offshore oil blocks. The company claims it was treated unfairly and differently from competing applicants, while the minister argues the application was incomplete and lacked required financial documentation.
16 April 2026 · The Namibian →
An opinion piece argues that Namibia's local content policy in oil and gas should be measured by actual skilled employment, apprenticeships linked to real job demand, and technology transfer—not merely spending figures or scholarships—to prevent fronting and ensure young Namibians gain lasting capability and productive livelihoods.
8 February 2026 · The Namibian →
A political science student argues that elected councillors and regional representatives lack sufficient educational qualifications to effectively manage budgets, interpret legislation, and drive development, citing examples like Katima Mulilo's land mismanagement and calling for a national dialogue on minimum leadership standards.
7 February 2026 · New Era →
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has asked the attorney general to review the circumstances surrounding Paragon Oil & Gas' petroleum exploration licence (PEL 37) renewal, which was granted for four years despite regulations limiting third renewals to two years. The licence resurfaced as a controversy when former mines minister Natangwe Ithete was fired last year, allegedly for approving the renewal against the president's wishes.
26 January 2026 · The Namibian →