Malawi's Gold Rush Leaves Community in Ruins
The people of Makanjira, meanwhile, remain voiceless, their hopes for a brighter future fading with each passing day.
MANGOCHI, Malawi – Weathered concrete beacons, erected by colonial powers in 1902, stand as silent testaments to the promise of gold in Makanjira, writes Francis Botha.
But for Chief Saiti Mwasungu, the dream of prosperity has dissolved into despair as illegal mining operations have ravaged the once-pristine Namizimu Forest.
“Will our tale of broken promises be carved in gold and blood forever?” lamented Saiti.
The lush forest, once a source of life for the community, has become a dangerous wasteland, scarred by unregulated mining and alleged armed skirmishes between rival miners, many from foreign nations.
The presence of these heavily armed miners has made it impossible for Saiti to control the situation.
“Illegal miners disregard courtesy calls to hosting chiefs and have become too dangerous to control them, but I wondered why the government does not use its machinery to sanitise the area,” Saiti said.
The social fabric of Makanjira is also fraying.
Young girls are lured into transactional sexual relationships with the miners, jeopardising their health for fleeting financial gain.
Families remain trapped in poverty, unable to benefit from the wealth beneath their feet.
The government’s response to the crisis has been largely characterised by inaction and silence. Soldiers deployed to the area in 2018 after Saiti pleaded with the government to intervene were only there for a short time.
At the recent Alternative Mining Indaba in Mangochi, the failures of Malawi’s mining sector were put under the microscope.
Stefan Jansen, Country Director for the NCA-DCA Malawi Joint Country Programme, stressed the need for transparency and community inclusion.
“Malawi’s mineral wealth must not enrich a few at the expense of its people. Transparency, community inclusion, and sustainable practices are non-negotiable," Jansen said.
The Indaba revealed a stark reality:
Unregulated mining is rampant.
Labor abuses are commonplace.
Licensing processes are opaque.
Despite its vast mineral wealth, which includes gold, uranium, coal, and rutile, mining currently contributes only 1% to Malawi’s GDP.
Martin Kaluluma, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources, acknowledged that illegal mining and hidden outputs are hindering the sector's growth.
Kaluluma placed some of the blame on traditional leaders, accusing them of turning a blind eye to the illegal mining operations.
However, Saiti vehemently denied these accusations, stating that the miners operate outside the traditional systems of authority.
Delegates at the Indaba voiced concerns about the exploitation of Malawi's resources and people.
Foreign companies often ship unprocessed minerals abroad, leaving local communities with little to show for the extraction.
They urged the government to:
Prioritize sustainable practices.
Ensure equitable revenue sharing.
Uphold unwavering transparency.
As Malawi prepares to develop the world’s largest rutile deposits at Kasiya in Lilongwe, the nation stands at a critical juncture.
The decisions made today will determine whether mining becomes a catalyst for sustainable growth or perpetuates a cycle of inequality and environmental devastation.
Dr. Samuel Sakhuta, Chief Director of the Mining Regulatory Authority, emphasized the urgent need for reforms to ensure communities are informed and included in mining decisions.
“Without action, Malawi risks repeating the mistakes of the past where mining agreements did not benefit Malawians,” Sakhuta said.
Despite the presence of numerous licensed mining companies in Malawi, the gold-rich Namizimu Forest has only one—a Chinese-owned company called Haman.
The people of Makanjira, meanwhile, remain voiceless, their hopes for a brighter future fading with each passing day.