Namibian Supreme Court hears oil licence dispute

Red Soil Energy and Mineral Exploration has taken its claim of unfair treatment by the mines ministry to the Supreme Court after its application for a petroleum exploration licence was rejected. The company initially filed a case in the Windhoek High Court in 2021 after the then minister of mines and energy, Tom Alweendo, rejected its application for four oil blocks off the southern Namibian coast. Red Soil's managing director, Kaura Kaura, claimed that petroleum commissioner Maggy Shino encouraged him to withdraw his application, stating the blocks were reserved for "politically connected people." Shino and Alweendo deny these allegations, with Alweendo stating that the task of granting or refusing applications rests with the minister, not the commissioner. Alweendo maintained that Red Soil's application was incomplete and lacked proof of financial and technical capability. The High Court dismissed Red Soil's application in 2023, citing the absence of audited financial statements or a workplan budget. In its Supreme Court appeal, Red Soil argues it was treated differently from other companies and that it met the minimum threshold for a licence application. The company's legal counsel, Karla Saller, stated that the established practice involves a two-stage evaluation where the minister requests additional information if needed. Red Soil claims this practice was not followed in its case, unlike a competing application for the same blocks. The company also alleges it has new ev