Windhoek: Newly appointed Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Modestus Amutse, has urged ministry staff to prioritise accountability, improve service delivery, and rebuild public confidence. Amutse, who was appointed by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on December 2, 2025, addressed the ministry's employees on Monday, emphasising teamwork, integrity, and measurable performance as key ingredients for transforming the ministry.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Amutse stressed that each staff member carries individual responsibility for contributing to national development and urged them to consistently evaluate their daily output. He posed reflective questions to the staff, asking them to assess their daily and weekly contributions to meet the expectations of the Namibian people. The minister stated, "This is not just my expectation; it is what everybody expects us to deliver collectively."
Amutse described himself as a leader among professionals, rather than a boss, highlighting the importance of collective expertise in fulfilling the ministry's mandate. He acknowledged growing public concern over slow turnarounds on applications and called for quarterly performance assessments to improve efficiency, urging the ministry to prove skeptics wrong about its achievements.
Addressing the challenges within the mining sector, Amutse expressed concern over the plight of small-scale miners who remain impoverished despite extracting valuable resources. He criticised weak verification systems that allow buyers to undervalue minerals and called for stronger controls to ensure fair compensation for miners.
Amutse also voiced dissatisfaction with the practice of selling Exclusive Prospecting Licences (EPL) without conducting exploration, cautioning that an EPL is merely a piece of paper until value is added through exploration.
On the topic of industrialisation, Amutse outlined plans to strengthen support structures, review the Equipment Aid Scheme, and explore mechanisms to address the high rental costs burdening Namibians.
Before Amutse's appointment, the ministry was overseen in an acting capacity by Minister of Defence Frans Kapofi. The ministerial position became vacant in October after former minister Natangue Ithete was relieved of his duties by the president following allegations of violating a presidential directive concerning petroleum licensing.