Arandis, Namibia

Arandis (Khoekhoe: the place where people cry)[2] is a town in the Erongo Region of western central Namibia. It has been called the Uranium Capital of the World as it is located just 15 km outside the world's largest open-pit uranium mine, the Rössing Uranium Mine.

Arandis
Arandis is located in Namibia
Arandis
Arandis
Location in Namibia
Coordinates: 22°25′S 14°58′E
Country Namibia
RegionErongo Region
ConstituencyArandis Constituency
Established1978
Government
 • MajorRisto Kapenda
Area
 • Total12.9 sq mi (33.4 km2)
 • Land12.9 sq mi (33.4 km2)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total5,214
 • Density400/sq mi (160/km2)
Time zoneUTC+2 (South African Standard Time)
ClimateBWh

Established for the workers of Rössing Uranium in 1978, Arandis was granted self–administration and "town" status in 1994.[3] Currently it has 7,600 inhabitants, most of whom are somehow connected to the mine, and owns 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) of land.[4]

Besides Rössing, Arandis also serves the Husab and Trekkopje uranium mines. It is the home of the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology, a technical institute focusing on training skilled industrial workers.[5]

Economy and infrastructure

The 2000s saw a resurgence in economic growth in Arandis. With the global energy crisis, a significant rise in demand occurred for nuclear energy, increasing demand for Arandis' Uranium. Banks, which had previously closed and youth who had previously left the town seeking employment elsewhere, returned.[6] In 2008, negotiations were at an advanced stage for a Chinese company, Namibia Industrial Mining Limited to build a factory for making building materials in Arandis.[7]

After an investment conference was held in 2011, investors have decided to erect a shopping mall in town. Construction of the mall started soon afterwards, the anticipated completion date is May 2013.[8]

Transportation

The Arandis Railway Station is a crossing loop on the Trans-Namib Railway between Swakopmund and Usakos. Arandis Airport is also nearby.[9]

Education

Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) is a technical vocational training institute in Arandis, Namibia, established in 1991.

There is a secondary school and a primary school in the Town vicinity namely Kolin Foundation Secondary School and U.B. Dax Primary School.

Politics

Arandis is governed by a town council that has seven seats.[10]

In the 2010 local authority elections SWAPO won the town council with 664 votes. The United Democratic Front (UDF) finished in second place with 243 votes while the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) received 72 votes.[11] SWAPO also won the 2015 local authority elections, gaining 5 seats (780 votes). The remaining 2 seats went to the UDF (295 votes).[12] SWAPO also won the 2020 local authority election but for the first time failed to gain the majority of seats in the town council. SWAPO obtained 551 votes and gained three seats. Runner-up Independent Patriots for Change (IPC, newly formed in August 2020) gained two seats (405 votes), and UDF and Landless People's Movement (LPM) gained one seat each with 230 and 140 votes, respectively.[13]

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arandis.

References
  1. "Table 4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011)" (PDF). Namibia 2011 - Population and Housing Census Main Report. Namibia Statistics Agency. p. 39. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  2. Cassidy, Joseph (2009). Place Names of Namibia A Historical Dictionary. Windhoek: Macmillan Education Namibia Publishers (Pty) Ltd. p. 1. ISBN 978-99916-0-654-5.
  3. Hartman, Adam (8 November 2011). "Investment confrence [sic] promotes Arandis". The Namibian. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012.
  4. "ELECTIONS 2010: Erongo regional profile". New Era. 16 November 2010. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  5. Hartman, Adam (May 2019). "Evolution of Namibia's mining towns". Mining Journal supplement to The Namibian. pp. 26–33.
  6. Timberg, Craig (6 December 2006). "Rising Interest in Nuclear Power Brings New Life to Uranium Mining". The Washington Post.
  7. "Chinese firm plans Arandis factory". The Namibian. NAMPA. 23 July 2008.
  8. de Klerk, Eveline (21 August 2012). "Arandis mall takes shape". New Era.
  9. "Arandis Airport". www.airports-worldwide.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-30. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  10. "Know Your Local Authority". Election Watch. No. 3. Institute for Public Policy Research. 2015. p. 4.
  11. Result of the 2010 Local Authority Elections for Arandis Electoral Commission of Namibia Archived March 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Local elections results". Electoral Commission of Namibia. 28 November 2015. p. 1. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  13. "2020 Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats" (PDF). Electoral Commission of Namibia. 29 November 2020. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
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