After acting as mines minister, Namibia president appoints substantive office holder

Namibia's president on Tuesday appointed Modestus Amutse as the Southern African country's new minister of mines, energy and industry.

Amutse's appointment comes after President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah removed Natangwe Ithete from the position in October, and thereafter held the ministerial post in an acting capacity.

Resource-rich Namibia is aiming for its first crude oil production by 2030 after several major discoveries in recent years. It mines commodities like uranium and diamonds.

A statement from Nandi-Ndaitwah's office said Amutse had previously served as deputy minister of information and communication technology and before that as a member of parliament.