Defending the Investment: Rossing Uranium and the Business of Decolonisation in Namibia

In the 1970s, Rio Tinto Zinc''s Rössing Uranium mine became a symbol of injustice for Namibian nationalists and international opponents of South African rule Yet, counterintuitively, the mine survived decolonisation in Namibia virtually unscathed and was reimagined as part of modern, independent Namibia. This book explores the development of the Rössing Uranium mine during the colonial and early post-colonial period. The book presents a detailed understanding of the strategies adopted by big business in response to changes in the political and economic environment in Namibia. It does so through a case study of big business and diplomacy in the establishment and operations of the Rössing Uranium mine under colonial rule and decolonisation. The focus of the book is ultimately on the public relations campaign which was adopted by Rössing Uranium in anticipation of the impending political change in Namibia. Saima Nakuti Ndahangwapo is a Namibian historian who obtained her PhD in Africa Studies from the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Her research interests include big business, decolonisation, diplomacy, mining and labour relations in Southern Africa. This book is based on her doctoral research.