Editing Tsumeb (section)

===Tsumeb mine===
{{see-also|Mining in Namibia}}
[[File:Tsumeb-Main Road.JPG|thumb|left|Main road in Tsumeb]]
[[File:Tsumeb 3.JPG|thumb|left|Tsumeb open cast pit, buildings and railway about 1931]]
[[File:Shaft tower of disused mine in Tsumeb, Namibia (2014).jpg|thumb|left|[[Shaft mining|Shaft tower]] of disused [[Mining|mine]] in Tsumeb (2014)]]

Tsumeb, since its founding, has been primarily a mining town. The mine was originally owned by the [[Otavi Mining and Railway Company|OMEG]] (Otavi Minen- und Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) and later by TCL (Tsumeb Corporation Limited) before its closure a few years ago, when the ore at depth ran out. The main shafts became flooded by [[Groundwater|ground water]] over a kilometre deep and the water was collected and pumped as far as the capital, [[Windhoek]]. The mine has since been opened up again by a group of local entrepreneurs trading as [[Ongopolo Mining]]. A fair amount of oxidized ore remains to be recovered in the old upper levels of the mine. It is highly unlikely, though, that the deepest levels will ever be reopened.<ref name=mindat/>

Between 1905 and 1996, Tsumeb mine produced about 30 million tons of ore yielding 1.7 Mt copper, 2.8 Mt lead 0.9 Mt zinc, as well as 80 t germanium.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Melcher, F. | year = 2003 | title = The Otavi Mountain Land in Namibia: Tsumeb, germanium and snowball earth. | journal = Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Mineralogischen Gesellschaft | volume =  148 | pages = 413–435}}</ref> The average ore grade was 10% Pb, 4.3% Cu, 3.5% Zn, 100 ppm Ag, 50 ppm Ge.<ref>{{cite journal | author =Lombaard, A.F., Günzel, A., Innes, J., Krüger, T.L.| year = 1986| title = The Tsumeb lead–copper–zinc–silver deposit, South West Africa/Namibia. | journal = Anhaeusser, C.R., Maske, S. (Eds.), Mineral Deposits of Southern Africa, Geol. Soc. South Africa, Johannesburg|  volume = 2| pages = 1761–1782}}</ref>

It is noted for 243 valid minerals and is the type location for 56 types of mineral. Some of the [[germanium]] minerals are only found in this mine.<ref name=mindat>[http://www.mindat.org/loc-2428.html Tsumeb mine mineral list], TL = type location.</ref>

From 1971 to 1972, the Tsumeb mine had its operations temporarily stopped during the [[1971–72 Namibian contract workers strike]] over the contract labor system and [[apartheid]].<ref name="ACOA">{{Cite web |date=January 7, 1972 |title=ACOA fact sheets: STRIKE IN NAMIBIA |url=https://kora.matrix.msu.edu/files/50/304/32-130-1318-84-GMH%20ACOA%201-72Nam%20opt.pdf |publisher=AMERICAN COMMlTTEE ON AFRICA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rogers |first=Barbara |date=1972 |title=Namibia's General Strike |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4185227 |journal=Africa Today |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=3–8 |jstor=4185227 |issn=0001-9887}}</ref>

The other notable feature of the town is the metal smelter, for a long time the biggest employer in town. Previously owned by Namibia Custom Smelters, it was sold by [[Weatherly International]] mining company to [[Dundee Corporation]] in 2010. Dundee mainly smelted copper ores from [[Bulgaria]] here. The right of the smelter is currently owned by [[IXM]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/2760818-dundee-precious-metals-sells-tsumeb-smelter-to-louis-dreyfus-commodities/|title=Dundee Precious Metals sells Tsumeb smelter to Louis Dreyfus Commodities|date=14 January 2010|access-date=17 December 2018|publisher=guelphmercury.com}}</ref> 

The smelter operation has led to widespread soil contamination with [[arsenic]] and other [[heavy metals]]. Hair samples from the local population show "that the population of Tsumeb is massively exposed to arsenic". It also impacted air quality negatively. The stockpile of arsenic waste has been deposited in a landfill. Its exact size is unknown but it is speculated to amount to 300,000t, one of the largest such accumulations in the world.<ref>{{Cite news | last1=Schlaefli | first1=Samuel | last2=York | first2=Geoffrey | title=Canadian copper company leaves a legacy of toxic waste in Namibia | newspaper=[[The Namibian]] | date=20 January 2025 | url=https://www.namibian.com.na/canadian-copper-company-leaves-a-legacy-of-toxic-waste-in-namibia/}}</ref>