Economic and Social Justice Trust
Economic & Social Justice Trust
The ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE TRUST (ESJT) was formed in 2012 by a group of activists to promote struggles for economic and social justice.
About the Trust
Economic & Social Justice Trust Aim
The key aims of the Trust are to enhance and promote the social and economic rights of Namibians.
About ESJT
The Economic and Social Justice Trust (ESJT), established in 2012 and registered in 2013, aims to promote economic and social justice in Namibia.
Economic & Social Justice Trust Aim
This includes the fair and equitable distribution of resources with a particular emphasis on enhancing the rights of the economically and socially excluded Namibians.
How does the Trust operate?
The Trust consists of activists who volunteer their time and knowledge to engage in campaigns and specific projects.
Which activities has the Trust undertaken so far?
The main activities of the Trust have centred on the prevention of marine phosphate mining and a tobacco plantation in the Zambezi region as well as the campaign for the rights of Shoprite workers and a basic income grant (BIG) for all Namibians.
Campaigns
Campaigns
Appeal for the Implementation of a Universal Basic Income Grant
Open letter to President Geingob from civil society organisations urging urgent BIG implementation of N$500/person/month for ages 0–59. Cites UN FAO data showing 1.5 million Namibians are food insecure and warns that mass youth unemployment will fuel social instability. Notes Namibia's ranking as the 2nd most unequal country in the world.
Motivation for the Call for a Moratorium on Oil & Gas Exploration in the Kavango Regions
Multi-organisation civil society petition to President Geingob, four ministers, and the Ombudsman calling for a halt to ReconAfrica's Kavango drilling. Details the company's lack of land rights and community consent, unlined waste pits, radioactive material risks, and argues Namibia's international climate commitments are incompatible with new fossil fuel extraction.
An Invitation to Join the Activist School
ESJT recruitment document for its 14-month Activist School launching August 2020. Invites 20–25 young activists from grassroots backgrounds to participate in monthly seminars covering inequality, housing rights, living wages, climate justice, and political economy. Emphasises participatory democracy and hands-on learning.
Latest Article
Articles
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and the Quest for Social Justice
Herbert Jauch assesses incoming President NNN's prospects for tackling Namibia's structural crises of unemployment, starvation wages, and inequality. Argues meaningful change requires moving beyond SWAPO's continuity platform to embrace redistributive pol
Dec 19, 2024
The Politics of Poverty in Namibia
Kamwanyah and Musutua argue that the Harambee cash grant introduced in //Karas region is being misrepresented as a Basic Income Grant. Contend it reaches less than 2% of the population and suggest its rollout is politically motivated to recover SWAPO elec
Aug 14, 2023
Arrest the Unemployment Crisis – Not the Youth!
Herbert Jauch condemns the Namibian police's use of the colonial-era Public Gatherings Act of 1989 to suppress youth unemployment protests on Independence Day 2023. Analyses the unemployment crisis (40–50% rate), argues Vision 2030 targets are unachievabl
Apr 3, 2023
Press statements
View and download press statements
2024
Appreciation for Taking a Stance Against Genocide
ESJT thanks the Namibian government and media for preventing an Israeli-bound vessel (MV Kathrin) carrying military equipment from docking at Walvis Bay. Credits ESJT's open letter to Namport's CEO as the catalyst, and calls on Namibia to consistently deny port access to arms shipments destined for Israel.
View and download2024
ESJT Supports Kavango Conservancy Leaders Standing Up to ReconAfrica
ESJT backs Kavango conservancy communities challenging Canadian oil company ReconAfrica's illegal drilling. Details the company's pattern of violations since 2020: drilling without permits, unlined waste pits, relocating rigs without permission into community conservancies, and circumventing EIA requirements through a procedural amendment loophole.
View and download2023
End the Silence on the Human Suffering in Palestine
ESJT media statement urging Namibian civil society to speak out against Israeli military action in Gaza, characterising it as genocide under international law. Draws on Namibia's own history of genocide and apartheid to argue that silence constitutes complicity, and calls for a principled human rights stance independent of donor funding pressures.
View and download2022
Open Letter to the Minister of Environment re Marine Phosphate Mining
ESJT writes to Minister Pohamba Shifeta criticising the Chamber of the Environment's CEO Dr Chris Brown for aggressively promoting NMP's marine phosphate mining despite having no marine science qualifications. Challenges the Chamber's claimed independence, given it was founded with seed money from B2Gold mining company.
View and downloadContact