Perekezi ASM Equips CSOs, Media on Mining Corruption
Perekezi ASM Consultants, with USAID funding, is implementing the “Powering a Just Energy Transition Minerals Challenge” (JET Minerals Challenge) project
LILONGWE, Malawi — Perekezi ASM Consultants and Events held a full-day training workshop on Aug. 20 for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and media practitioners on “Corruption Risk Assessment” in the mining sector, writes Esther Banda.
The workshop, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aimed to counter transnational corruption in Malawi by strengthening transparency, accountability, and integrity.
The training equipped participants with knowledge and skills to report and expose corruption in the mining sector, which is currently undergoing a transformation with the implementation of the new Mines and Minerals Act (MMA) of 2019 and 2023.
“The mining sector in Malawi is very much emerging with long-standing mining operations, but that does not seem to have generated as much trust in their value in the future as they could have with the new Mines and Minerals Act,” one of the trainers stated.
Ludivine Wouters, a consultant advising mining companies and investors, stressed the importance of a clear understanding of the new MMA of 2023 to avoid pitfalls that have plagued the sector for decades.
Chikomeni Manda, managing partner of Perekezi ASM Consultants and Events, emphasized the crucial role of CSOs and journalists in combating corruption within the mining sector.
“The objective of this training was to orient and empower the CSOs and the media on how they can expose the corruption cases in the mining sector and also to make them understand the new Mines and Minerals Act where there is a possibility that corruption can take place,” explained Manda.
The training saw participation from various organizations including the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Foundation for Community Support Services (FOCUS), Natural Resources Justice Network, QADRIA Muslim Association of Malawi, NCA-DCA, Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA), Evangelico Association of Malawi, Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), and Youth in Mining.
Perekezi ASM Consultants, with USAID funding, is implementing the “Powering a Just Energy Transition Minerals Challenge” (JET Minerals Challenge) project, which aims to promote transparency and accountability to curb transnational corruption in green minerals.