Namibian activist Jimmy Areseb appeared in court on Monday after being arrested for allegedly violating public order laws during a protest at a local traditional authority’s offices.
The protest centered around accusations that officials had accepted bribes from Chinese mining company Xinfeng in exchange for access to lithium deposits.
The confrontation highlights growing tensions in Namibia’s Erongo region, where activists claim Xinfeng is operating illegally.
The company has been accused of disregarding local beneficiation policies and ignoring environmental concerns.
Videos circulating on social media show members of Namibia’s paramilitary Special Field Force confronting elderly protesters, including an image of an elderly woman being carried away. These scenes have drawn comparisons to the apartheid era.
Areseb’s arrest came after he allegedly interfered with the Special Field Force, who were enforcing a court order for demonstrators to vacate the offices. The protesters had camped out for a week, demanding to see the chief.
At the heart of the controversy is Xinfeng, which has been charged with illegal mining by Namibia’s commissioner of mines.
Community members are questioning why Areseb was arrested while no one from Xinfeng has faced charges.
