Arandis, Namibia
{{Short description|Town in the Erongo Region of Namibia}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Arandis
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| image_skyline = Arandis (2018).jpg
| imagesize = 300px
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| pushpin_map = Namibia
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_mapsize = 300
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Namibia
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Namibia}}
| subdivision_type1 = Region
| subdivision_name1 = Erongo Region
| subdivision_type2 = Constituency
| subdivision_name2 = Arandis Constituency
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| leader_title = Major
| leader_name = Risto Kapenda
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| established_title = Established
| established_date = 1978
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| unit_pref = Imperial
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| area_total_km2 = 33.4
| area_land_km2 = 33.4
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| population_as_of = 2023
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| population_total = 5,726
| population_density_km2 = auto
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| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities
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| timezone = South African Standard Time
| utc_offset = +2
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| coordinates = {{coord|22|25|S|14|58|E|region:NA|display=inline,title}}
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| blank_name = Climate
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{{langnf|naq|Arandis|the place where people cry|italics=no}}{{Cite book|title=Place Names of Namibia A Historical Dictionary|last=Cassidy|first=Joseph|publisher=Macmillan Education Namibia Publishers (Pty) Ltd|year=2009|isbn=978-99916-0-654-5|location=Windhoek|pages=1}} is a mining town in the Erongo Region of western central Namibia. The town has 5,726 inhabitants. Originally a camp for workers of the nearby Rössing uranium mine, Arandis was declared a town in 1994.
Economy and infrastructure
Arandis 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. It also serves the Husab and Trekkopje uranium mines. Economic conditions in town have thus always been dependent on the word market price of uranium.{{cite news | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/1/20/arandis-the-uranium-capital-of-the-world | title=Arandis: The uranium capital of the world | last=Schneider | first=Victoria | date=20 January 2014 | newspaper=Al Jazeera}}{{cite news | title=Evolution of Namibia's mining towns | last=Hartman | first=Adam | date=May 2019 | newspaper=Mining Journal supplement to The Namibian | pages=26–33}}
Uranium mining operations, in particular during the Rössing mine's early years, have led to allegations of occupational health violations and radiation-related illnesses. A 1993 report from a medical student was dismissed both by the mine and the authorities, further independent research has never been conducted.
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.{{Cite news | title=Rising Interest in Nuclear Power Brings New Life to Uranium Mining | last=Timberg | first=Craig | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=6 December 2006 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/05/AR2006120501360.html}} 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.{{Cite news | title=Chinese firm plans Arandis factory | newspaper=The Namibian | publisher=NAMPA | date=23 July 2008 | url=http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=44647}}
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.{{cite news
|url=http://www.newera.com.na/articles/47083/Arandis-mall-takes-shape
|title=Arandis mall takes shape
|last=de Klerk
|first=Eveline
|date=21 August 2012
|work=New Era}}
=Transportation=
Arandis is situated on the B2 national road that connects the central Atlantic coast to Windhoek. The Arandis Railway Station is a crossing loop on the Trans-Namib Railway between Swakopmund and Usakos. Arandis Airport is also nearby.{{Cite web|title=Arandis Airport|url=https://www.airports-worldwide.com/namibia/arandis_namibia.php|website=www.airports-worldwide.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030182512/http://www.airports-worldwide.com/namibia/arandis_namibia.php |archive-date=2012-10-30 |access-date=13 May 2020}}
History
Established for the workers of Rössing Uranium in 1978, Arandis was granted self–administration and town status in 1994.{{cite news | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=87884&page=archive-read | title=Investment confrence [sic] promotes Arandis | last=Hartman | first=Adam | date=8 November 2011 | newspaper=The Namibian | page=1 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606181312/http://www.namibian.com.na/news-articles/national/full-story/archive/2011/november/article/investment-confrence-promotes-arandis/ | archive-date=6 June 2012}} Arandis owns {{Convert|29|km2|sqmi}} of land and {{As of|2010|alt=in 2010}} had 7,600 inhabitants, most of whom are somehow connected to the mine.{{cite news
|title=ELECTIONS 2010: Erongo regional profile
|publisher=New Era
|url=http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=14109
|date=16 November 2010
|access-date=16 November 2010
|archive-date=6 September 2012
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906113042/http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=14109
|url-status=dead
}}
Demographics
{{Historical populations|2001|3,974|2011|5,170|2023|5,726|percentages=pagr|align=none|footnote=Sources:{{cite web | title=4.2.2 Urban population by Census years (2001 and 2011) | url=http://cms.my.na/assets/documents/p19dmn58guram30ttun89rdrp1.pdf | work=Namibia 2011 - Population and Housing Census Main Report | publisher=Namibia Statistics Agency | access-date=1 November 2024 | page=39}}{{cite web | title=4.5 Population by town and census years (2011 and 2023) | url=https://nsa.org.na/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2023-Population-and-Housing-Census-Main-Report-28-Oct-2024.pdf | work=Namibia 2023 - Population and Housing Census. Main Report | publisher=Namibia Statistics Agency | access-date=1 November 2024 | pages=33–34}}}}
Politics
Arandis is governed by a town council that has seven seats.{{Cite news | title=Know Your Local Authority | publisher=Institute for Public Policy Research | newspaper=Election Watch | year = 2015 | issue=3 | page=4}}
In the 2004 local authority elections SWAPO won the town council election with 753 votes and gained four seats. Two seats and 295 votes were obtained by the United Democratic Front (UDF), and one seat (139 votes) went to the Congress of Democrats (CoD).{{Cite web | title=14 May 2004 Local Authority Elections in Namibia | publisher=African Elections Database | date=31 December 2005 | accessdate=24 December 2023 | url=https://africanelections.tripod.com/na_2004local.html}} SWAPO also won the 2010 local authority elections SWAPO. It received 664 votes. The (UDF) finished in second place with 243 votes, and the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP, an opposition party founded in 2007) received 72 votes.[http://www.ecn.na/results/2010/Press_Release_Local_Authority_-_Erongo-Arandis.pdf Result of the 2010 Local Authority Elections for Arandis] Electoral Commission of Namibia {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316164320/http://www.ecn.na/results/2010/Press_Release_Local_Authority_-_Erongo-Arandis.pdf |date=March 16, 2012 }} In the 2015 local authority elections SWAPO won again, gaining 5 seats (780 votes). The remaining 2 seats went to the UDF (295 votes).{{cite web | title=Local elections results | publisher=Electoral Commission of Namibia | page=1 | url=http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/218731/LA+results+%28press+release%29+2015.pdf/870a030b-8547-487f-ad18-b22713b16d4c?version=1.0 | date=28 November 2015 | access-date=11 August 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210194328/http://www.ecn.na/documents/27857/218731/LA+results+%28press+release%29+2015.pdf/870a030b-8547-487f-ad18-b22713b16d4c?version=1.0 | archive-date=10 December 2015 | url-status=dead }}
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.{{Cite web | title=2020 Local Authority Elections Results and Allocation of Seats | page=4 | date=29 November 2020 | publisher=Electoral Commission of Namibia | url=https://www.ecn.na/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Media-Release-on-LA-Results_2020.pdf | access-date=3 December 2020 | archive-date=24 January 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124162938/https://www.ecn.na/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Media-Release-on-LA-Results_2020.pdf | url-status=dead }} Benitha Imbamba is currently serving as the Arandis Constituency.{{Cite web |last=Sun |first=Namibian |last2=Hartman |first2=Adam |date=2025-03-28 |title=Erongo council chair ousted after no-confidence vote |url=https://www.namibiansun.com/politics/erongo-council-chair-ousted-after-no-confidence-vote2025-03-28 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Namibian Sun |language=en}}
Education
In 1991, the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT), a technical institute focusing on training skilled industrial workers, was established.
Kolin Foundation Secondary School and U.B. Dax Primary School are situated in town.
See also
External links
{{Commons category|Arandis}}