Mining & Trade News

Government’s deployment of Malawi Defence Force soldiers in small-scale mining areas in order to bring sanity in the activity has sparked debate with civil society organisations expressing concern over potential human rights violations while the miners are pleading for dialogue with the authorities.

Eye witnesses have confirmed incidents where by soldiers have destroyed buildings and detained artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) suspected of unlawful practices in mining hotspots in districts such as Mzimba and Kasungu.

The Ministry of Energy and Mining states in a Press Release that the Malawi Government has established a joint task force operation codenamed “Operation Samala Mgodi” which is aimed at strengthening enforcement mechanisms, curbing illegal mining, and preventing the smuggling of unprocessed stones across the country’s boarders.

The Press Release signed by Principal Secretary Emmanuel Matapa says this operation is meant to address the growing challenge of illegal mining in line with the Executive Order issued by the State President Arthur Peter Mutharika, which prohibits the export of all raw and unprocessed minerals.

The operation is being led by MDF with support from the Malawi Police Service, Immigration Department, National Intelligence Service, Malawi Prison Service and the Department of Mining in the Ministry.

“To empower communities in the targeted mining sites, the Government is establishing registered mining cooperatives to formalize ASMs. These cooperatives will provide a lawful channel for mining operations and enable the Government to purchase minerals for value addition, improved traceability, and enhanced revenue collection ensuring the sector contributes meaningfully to national development,” says Matapa.

But while welcoming Government’s initiative to curb illegal mining, Natural Resources Justice Network National Coordinator Kennedy Rashid Rashid in an interview suggests police officers, trained for law enforcement and judicial processes are more suitable for the operation than the military.

“It is likely that the involvement of soldiers is associated with human rights violations because the soldiers are not specifically trained for that role, which is of the MPS officers,” he says.

Landirani Banda, a victim, complains to Mining & Trade Review over the loss of K800,000 and personal belongings, including food and solar panels seized during the operation.

Federation of Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in Malawi (FASMIM) President Percy Maleta bemoans the launch of the MDF headed operation saying Government needs to use contact and dialogue to bring sanity to the industry.

“Arresting artisanal miners contradicts the government's efforts to form ASM cooperatives."

He wonders why Government is arresting ASMs without licences when it suspended issuing of mining licences pending an audit of the cadastral portal.

"There is no licence for ASMs in the country, so who is an illegal miner?" Maleta questions.

In a Press Statement, Maleta says simply militarizing the fight against illegal mining risks pushing miners further into the shadows. Instead the federation is advocating for a strategy that focuses on formalizing the sector and empowering miners with access to licenses, finances and fair markets.

He says Government needs to deal with the root causes of illegal mining instead of using militarization observing that illegal mining and smuggling are symptoms of deeper structural challenges, including limited access to licensing, lack of financing, and inadequate market systems.

The federation has since called for dialogue between the government and ASMs in order to create inclusive platforms where all parties can sit at the table, engage constructively, and agree on practical and mutually beneficial solutions.  

“Restricting miners and traders from accessing export markets and earning a livelihood without providing viable and accessible alternatives, risks pushing them further into illegality,” states Maleta.

 The ASM sector is crucial to Malawi's economy, employing an estimated 40,000 and contributing to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) though it is dogged by a myriad of challenges including informal practices, poor health standards, and environmental concerns.

But Matapa maintains that Operation "Samala Mgodi" has clear objectives which include: combat illegal mining activities to identify, monitor and dismantle illegal mining operations across the country; protect the environment to prevent the degradation and pollution of rivers, land and other natural resources, resulting from unlawful mining practices; and to enforce environmental regulations to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws including the safe and regulated use of mercury and other hazardous substances in mining activities.

The other objectives include to safeguard national revenue to curb revenue losses by addressing unlicensed mining and the illegal export of raw and unprocessed minerals; promote local employment opportunities to encourage formalization and regulated mining activities that generate decent jobs and sustainable economic benefits for Malawian communities; and protect children from exploitation to eliminate child labour in mining and uphold the safety, rights and well-being of children.,

He says these objectives reflect the government's commitment to responsible mining that benefits Malawian communities while preserving the environment.

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