Mining & Trade News

Slope stability refers to the condition of inclined soil or rock slopes to withstand or undergo movement, Slope stability Analyses are generally aimed at understanding the causes of occurrence of slope failures, or other factors that can potentially trigger slope movements, resulting in a landslide, as well as at preventing the initiation of such movement, slowing it down or arresting it through mitigation measures.

The stability of a slope is essentially controlled by the ratio between the available shear strength and the acting shear stress which can be expressed in terms of a factor of safety.

Slope Monitoring techniques

There are various slope monitoring techniques ranging from simple visual inspection to complex GPS and radar scanning. All these techniques can be classified into conventional and modern-day techniques.

Conventional Techniques

Conventional or traditional monitoring techniques

These involve physical examination and mapping of tension cracks along the slope face. All mine personnel are involved in slope monitoring directly or indirectly. The initial stage in slope monitoring is a visual inspection, which is the foundation of any monitoring program. Mine workers search for any evident signs of deformation and then report them to management for a more thorough examination and monitoring. Routine inspections of active mine slope and dumps slopes is done by mine management.

Modern-Day Techniques

Ground-based radar devices and Global Positioning Systems

These are increasingly integrated into most large open-pit mines’ slope monitoring and management programs. Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigation and positioning system that follows GPS satellites’ electro-magnetic signals. It measures the movements of slopes, landslides, and subsidence on a continuous-periodical basis. The amount of deformation and slope movements are calculated by comparing the starting and ending positions of the GPS stations. An an improvement to GPS, Differential GPS (DGPS) improves location precision in the range of operations of each system real-time information on slope stability and deformation rates. GPS is also being used as a control point for monitoring mine slope stability in conjunction with photogrammetry, total station networks, and remote sensing pictures. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) directs a laser beam at the area of monitoring, which provides a graphical/digital depiction of slope and their relative motions based on the journey time of the radiation. They produce virtual replicas of the slope in minutes, similar to photographic images emphasizing crucial regions. Modern LiDAR scanners can be placed on static and mobile surveying platforms and instantly give Digital Elevation Models (DEM) that can precisely identify the deformation zone’s relative magnitude, displacement rate, and position.

 Seismic Technique

Seismic technique has been used in open-cast mining to anticipate slope movements and failures. Micro-seismic events caused by tiny rock movements are collected by data recorders and relayed to the processing system. The events are then analysed to identify the zone of weakness, stress conditions, deformation mechanics, and deformation rate within the rock mass. Significant advancements in mine seismology information effectively reduce risks far before they occur.

Limitations of the Techniques

Selecting a proper monitoring system depends on several parameters, such as area coverage, mode of operation, cost, installation and maintenance concerns. Conventional methods are time-consuming and of low accuracy, and inclinometers, TDRs, extensometers, and LIDAR’s are not appropriate for real-time information and early failure prediction. slope monitoring radar has radically revolutionized the evaluation of geotechnical risk in surface mines.

Advancements

In the past years or so, radar has developed into a cutting-edge technology for monitoring pit wall movements in surface mining with real-time slope monitoring. The radar beam emitted by the antenna scans the slope faces vertically and horizontally. Movements along the slope are tracked both quickly and constantly, in addition to broad area coverage in all-weather conditions. In recent years, 3D imaging of the damaged surface has also been made available by radar monitoring. Radar can be either space-borne or ground-based depending on the application. Recently, Slope Stability Radar (SSR) advances have included broad areal coverage, remote operation from greater distances, and better spatial resolution. Radar systems pro-vide long-range monitoring, broad aerial coverage, and customized aerial coverage with sub-millimeter precision and accuracy. Techniques and recommendations for predicting the moment of failure or outlining the conditions of a predicted slope collapse offer in scientific literature. Getting an overview of the benefits and limitations of these different methods has become complex To simplify things, available works are classified on slope monitoring techniques based on the based on input and output data.

By Wahard Betha

Stakeholders in Malawi’s minerals sector have expressed concern over environmental degradation in small scale gold mining hotspots across the country where Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners (ASMs) abandon the mines without any rehabilitation after exhausting the mineral reserves.   

Coordinator for Chamber of Mines and Energy Grain Malunga said in an interview that the miners are the ones to be blame as they leave the land out of frustration and ignorance on the need for rehabilitation. 

Malunga said: “The miners are to blame. That is the price government pays when it fails to regulate the sector.”

“ASM gold mining is not as well paying as people think. Some leave the sites frustrated because they earn less and find no need to rehabilitate the sites.”

However, Coordinator for Natural Resources Justice Network (NRJN) Kennedy Rashid in a separate interview blamed poor coordination between duty bearers including the District Councils, Ministry of Mining and Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA).

Rashid said the public expected the involvement of MEPA in monitoring such issues.

He said: “MEPA has not been effective when it comes to monitoring the mining cycle. The expectations have been that since MEPA is involved in the licensing and regulation by government, it would also empower district level environmental officers to inspect ASM activities.”

“But currently the government agencies at local government level where the mining activities are happening seem to not be well coordinated with the central government,” he said.

In his response to our questionnaire, Director General for Mines and Minerals Regulatory Authority Samuel Sakhuta said the Ministry is trying its best to ensure that the problem does not get uncontrollable as it is currently working in collaboration with MEPA and the miners to ensure that they move together in monitoring and supervision in major hotspots.

He said: “For instance, at Manondo where we issued a licence to a cooperative which was assisted by Judah Group, we noted that the environment was not in good shape as we found a big trench left by miners who had run away.”

“Because Judah expressed interest in taking over the mine, they hired an excavator and filled these trenches.”

“If we have financial resources, we want to fill all trenches starting from the gold mining hotspots.”

“Of course, we can blame the miners but we, as government, have to bear responsibility and enforce monitoring, supervision and sensitization so that this should not escalate again.”

Sakhuta also said Government instituted a ban on any illegal mining activity to ensure that miners operate with the environmental conservation knowledge in mind.

He said: “We did that because we want them to be acquiring licenses which will also include some measures on how they can conserve the environment.”

“Through the licensing, we will also be able to trace them when we are conducting monitoring or supervision activities,” he said.

ASMs are major suppliers of gold to Export Development Fund (EDF), a subsidiary of Reserve Bank of Malawi, which was entrusted to be buying gold on behalf of Malawi Government.

ASMs continue to discover a number of small scale gold mining sites across the country, and the major ones are located in Machinga, Kasungu, Balaka, Chiradzulu, Nkhotakota and Nkhatabay.

Despite the presence of alluvial gold across Malawi, the Ministry of Mining is yet to discover source rocks as it has been failing to conduct geological exploration to discover the reef gold deposits due to budgetary constraints.

By Christopher Jimu

The Likoma Activity Centre on Likoma Island is expected to cost interested investors about $263 million to develop it, according to estimates from the government.

The project aims at enhancing the tourism experience at the Island by developing an aquarium to promote awareness of Lake Malawi unique fish species, along with a jetty, casino, luxurious hotel as well as running tracks.

It will also include waste management facilities, cruise ship, expansion of the airport runway and terminal, retail shops and many more.

Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism Chauncy Simwaka says in a Press Statement that the Ministry developed a masterplan which highlights 103 strategic areas for coordinated development with the private sector, and includes the Likoma Activity Centre Project.

Reads part of the statement: “From the 103 investment opportunities outlined in the Malawi National Tourism Investment Masterplan, 10 priority projects were singled out and pre-feasibility studies undertaken. Amongst these 10 priority projects is the development of the Likoma Activity Centre on Likoma Island.”

He explains that in-line with the government of Malawi’s policy on Investment and Trade Promotion, the Ministry of Tourism refers any potential investors to the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre, as the focal point of contact, for further processing of any expression of investment interest.

“To further enhance sector investment, the Ministry is also collaborating with the Ministry of Lands, and Ministry of Local Government, Culture and Unity and District Councils to promote all the 10 priority projects in the masterplan including the development of the Likoma Activity Centre on Likoma Island,” Simwaka states.                                                                                                                                   

ASX-listed Sovereign Metals, which is advancing the Kasiya Rutile and Graphite Exploration Project in Lilongwe, says it has come up with exciting results in the pilot phase of its conservation farming program, which it initiated along-side the local community as part of the Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

In the 2023/2024 season, Sovereign piloted the conservation farming program with 90 farmers within Kasiya and the surrounding villages, each cultivating 1,250m² of maize.

Sovereign Metals MD Frank Eagar reports that the results of the initiative were  very encouraging, with average yields increasing from 1,244 kg/ha in the 2023 harvest to 3,805 kg/ha in the 2024 harvest—an increase of 306%.

Eagar says following the success of the pilot, Sovereign has expanded the program to include 350 farmers for the 2024/2025 agricultural season.

“Sovereign has demonstrated, through measurable results, that conservation farming is an effective and sustainable community development project, central to long-term shared economic development objectives,” he says.

Eagar explains that Sovereign initiated a pilot conservation farming project during the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 agricultural seasons to demonstrate that agricultural yields of subsistence and small-scale farmers can be improved.

He says: “Improving land productivity is essential to enhancing the livelihoods of subsistence and small-scale farmers in the vicinity of the Kasiya Project. Sovereign views the success of neighbouring communities as linked to our success as a company, and this is an early demonstration of Sovereign’s commitment in that regard.”

Conservation farming involves the permaculture rotation of starch crops and legumes, with minimal soil disturbance. The practice also incorporates the use of mulch and organic compost to enhance soil organic quality over time, with the primary objective of improving agricultural yields.

Conservation farming has been widely recognized for sustainably improving the livelihoods of rural communities across Southern Africa. It is particularly suited to the Malawian context, where shifting slash-and-burn agricultural systems are not feasible, and rural communities are already familiar with permaculture farming and the labour-intensive requirements to meet food, and income needs from the land.

The principles of conservation farming—timeliness, high standards of work, and minimizing resource wastage—are built on the philosophy of responsible land stewardship and intergenerational mentorship.

Successful conservation farming programs typically require agricultural input support during a four-year transition period while improved practices and crop rotation are established, and soil health is restored.

“Sovereign’s long-term objective is that conservation farming will restore the livelihoods of economically affected families and transform the area surrounding the Kasiya Project into a surplus agricultural producer for the Lilongwe and Malawian markets. In addition, this initiative is intended to catalyse the development of the local agricultural value chain, from input supply to value-added processing industries,” says Eagar.

In the pilot phase of the Kasiya Community Conservation Farming Program, several challenges were encountered and successfully mitigated as follows:

• Timing and pests: The late start of the program made it difficult for farmers to collect sufficient mulch, leading to suboptimal farming conditions and termites turning to maize crops after consuming the available mulch. In extreme cases, Sovereign provided pesticide support. Sufficient mulching will prevent this issue in future seasons.

• El Niño: The late onset of rains and prolonged dry spells due to El Niño reduced overall yields. However, the use of conservation farming techniques, particularly mulching, helped mitigate these effects. It is expected that yields would be higher in a normal rainfall year.

• Stalk borer: Stalk borer is a common pest in Malawi, and an outbreak began in December 2024. Sovereign responded by providing mentorship, monitoring, training, knapsack sprayers, and other equipment for stalk borer control. In future seasons, early and natural prevention methods will be implemented.

Malawian-owned Mwalawanga Mining Company, the tenement holder for Chimwadzulu corundum mining site in Ntcheu, says it is failing to kickstart mining operations at the site due to continued deterioration of the security situation at the site caused by uncontrolled illegal mining activities.

In a Press Release, the Company explains that illegal mining activities have been going on at the site since November 2017 when it was granted the licence to operate the mine for an initial period of 10 years, and the situation has to date reached unbearable levels to be contained by the company’s security personnel alone.

The Press Release reads: “If you notice what is happening on the ground, you will appreciate that the illegal mining activity which even the government’s first security apparatus, sent previously to the mine, had failed to contain, has created a volatile and unconducive environment for investment to take place on the mine.”

“These illegal miners who are mostly from the surrounding communities and helped by other village headmen, have continuously undermined the rights of the licence holder over the mine as provided under the Mines and Minerals Act 2023 and they continue to attack our mine security personnel if they attempt to stop them.”

“Admittedly, this illegal mining operation has continued to lead to loss of revenues to the government and social benefits to the communities, that would have been realised at the mine, through unauthorised sale of illegally mined gemstone products on a daily basis as we wait to develop the mine after approval of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Report in April 2024.”

In November 2017, people from the surrounding area started invading the mine on pretext that the licence of the previous tenement holder Nyala Mines had expired hence they no longer had the mining rights over the mine.

The statement explains that since acquiring the licence, Mwalawanga has had many failed attempts to end this problem of illegal mining at the site. In December 2017, the Company in consultation with the Department of Mines sought the services of the Malawi Police Service to restore order at the mine site for a period of a month. Mwalawanga was responsible for meeting the cost of the security officials who included Mines Department Officers staying at the mine site for a month. Later that month in December 2017, the Ministry through the Department of Mines in collaboration with Ntcheu District Council and traditional leaders conducted a sensitization meeting with the local communities to introduce the new company, Mwalawanga Mining Company.

Delays by previous miner to vacate tenement area

Mwalawanga also says it has been failing to kickstart operations at the site due to delays by the previous license holder to vacate the premises. The Ministry of Mining granted Mwalawanga the mining licence in November 2017 “subject to conducting a full Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) prior to commencement of mining operation and adhering to the new terms of the agreements of the licence.”

However, previous holders of the licence, Nyala Mines, dragged government to court contesting rejection to renew their licence while they still occupied the mine premises.

The matter was discharged in favour of the Government on February 13, 2018 at the Blantyre High Court.

“Nyala delayed vacating the mine site following the court case and their refusal to vacate the site in time meant that Mwalawanga could not effectively move in to commence any activity or mine restoration,” reads the Statement.

Following protracted arguments with government warning that it will use force to evict the Company, Nyala finally vacated the mine site towards the end of November 2021 having removed all their plant and machinery and demolished most mine infrastructure.

Activities to start production

Mwalawanga states that despite the impediments emanating from invasion by illegal miners and Government legal wrangling with Nyala, the Company has been conducting activities in preparation to start mining.

For example, in the late 2019, Mwalawanga engaged a South African Mineral Evaluator, MTP Resources, to conduct assessment of corundum and associated minerals (sapphires and ruby) on Chimwadzulu Mine.

In January 2020, the Company submitted a Project Brief to the then Department of Environmental Affairs. This was followed by the Terms of Reference (TORs) granted by the Environmental Affairs Department giving a go ahead for the ESIA activity to commence.

The statement reads: “This meant that by early 2020, whilst the company had embarked on an initial ESIA preparations, the country and the mining sector was heavily hit by the Covid-19 pandemic up to mid-2022. This made the situation difficult to operate as most mining companies had suspended operations. The company later lost one of its founding Directors Mr Ishmael Wadi.”

After the Covid-19 Pandemic effects had eased; in February 2022, the company obtained an introductory support letter from the Commissioner for Mines and Minerals for the ESIA consultant, Chiwandama Geo-Consultant, who was engaged by Mwalawanga to conduct the ESIA in consultation with various stakeholders in Ntcheu District.

By September 29, 2023, the company had responded to ESIA comments and submitted the final document to Malawi Environmental Protection Agency for consideration.

The company already imported a washing plant and other required machinery and equipment which were cleared by the Malawi Revenue Authority for the Chimwadzulu Mine which cannot at this time be brought to the site due to security deterioration through the presence of over 1,000 illegal miners at the site who have outnumbered security personnel.

 The statement reads: “We believe that the situation was even made worse by the Government through Export Development Fund of the Reserve Bank of Malawi through visitation to the Chimwadzulu Mine area where it encouraged the illegal miners to priotise selling the stones to EDF other than foreigner buyers. This statement at the site escalated the illegal activities at the mine as the illegal miners were now offered a ready market for the illegal stones.”

“The company had on several occasions written the relevant government Institutions that include, Ntcheu District Council, Police Officer-In-Charge, and Ministry of Mining for support on the current security deterioration at the mine site.”

The Malawi Environment Protection Authority approved the ESIA for the mine on March 27, 2024.

Following the approval, Mwalawanga engaged an interested Mozambican potential Partner owing to their experience in the gemstone industry across the world on April 18. 2024 to help in the mine assessment and come up with other modalities of mining operation having had the entire surface area scrapped off by illegal miners.

The company in corroboration with the Mozambican Potential partners has been assessing the viability of doing an underground assessment of the source rock geological formations so as to avoid surface mining that has been disturbed and messed by illegal miners.

The Statement reads: “However, due to the continued security situation, our counterpart from Mozambique could not continue to work under a hostile environment with illegal miners surrounding the area of assessment and operation, which was seen as volatile atmosphere to work in and invest and had since left by September 30, 2024. You will even notice that all access roads on the mine have been destroyed by way of digging by illegal miners.”

“Even the Ministry of Mining could not help the company despite several requests to deploy additional security by MDF personnel on site for a specific period since they last publicized the much-touted MOU with Ministry of Defence to protect strategic minerals across the country.”

With no solution from the Ministry of Mining coming forth, the company had a recent stakeholder meeting which was held at the mine premises on September 24, 2024 comprising the Ministry of Homeland Officials from Lilongwe, Officials from the Malawi Police Headquarters in Lilongwe, Ntcheu District Council, Ntcheu Police Station and all surrounding Community Leaders.

It was at this meeting that a resolution has been made to establish a Police Unit at the mine using the mine infrastructure that will only require some renovations and also have the traditional leaders help vacate the community members from the mine site to allow the company bring in machinery and revamp the mine.

The statement reads: “Mwalawanga strongly believes that with a good conducive environment that the government has promised to create for all investors, if managed well, Chimwadzulu corundum is one of the mining products that have the potential to change the economic status of the country and surrounding communities, hence the need to jealously safeguard the mineral resource from this mine is very crucial.”

“It is for this reason that the Company disputes the twisted facts and sentiments from some misinformed officials and other local leaders that Mwalawanga has delayed the operation and can contain the situation at the mine alone.”

“We look forward to support from all stakeholders to develop this mine soonest for the benefits of the country.”

By Modester Mwalija

AXS-listed Sovereign Metals, which is prospecting for rutile and graphite in Kasiya area in Lilongwe has announced that it has successfully installed and commissioned an industrial-scale spiral concentrator plant at its laboratory and testing facility in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Sovereign MD Frank Eagar announces this in a statement saying the plant enables Sovereign to process material from the test pit mined as part of the Pilot Mining and Land Rehabilitation (Pilot Phase) at the Kasiya Rutile-Graphite Project.

Eagar says: “The new infrastructure allows Sovereign to deliver large scale graphite pre-concentrate for qualification by its future potential customers.”

“With a simple and conventional process flowsheet, Kasiya ore is processed at a throughput rate of up to 3 tonnes per hour for continuous sample preparation. Our PFS optimisation continues to advance as planned with oversight from the Sovereign-Rio Tinto Technical Committee.”

He explains that the spiral plant will prepare a graphite gravity concentrate from the Pilot Phase test pit’s run of mine at a bulk scale. The concentrate will then be sent to specialized laboratories for flotation, purification, spheronisation and coating testwork for the battery anode segment in line with Sovereign’s strategy to commercialize Kasiya’s graphite by-product.

This follows the Company’s recent announcement that downstream test work performed by a leading independent consultancy had demonstrated that Coated Spherical Purified Graphite (CSPG) produced from Kasiya natural flake graphite has performance characteristics comparable to leading Chinese natural graphite anode materials manufacturers.

The Kasiya process flowsheet is separated into distinct simple processing areas, namely Wet Concentrator Plant (WCP) and Mineral Separation Plant (MSP)

The WCP will receive mined material pre-screened at 2mm to remove oversize. Simple gravity separation through spirals will produce a Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC) and a separate gravity tailings stream enriched in graphite.

At the MSP, the HMC will initially undergo electrostatic separation through a CoronaStat Electric Separator to separate heavy minerals into electrically conductive minerals including rutile, and non-conductive minerals. Magnetic separation will then isolate rutile, which is non-magnetic, from other conductive minerals.

Eagar explains that the graphite tailings stream collected from the gravity spirals will be processed through froth flotation, including polishing and stirred media mills, producing a coarse-flake graphite concentrate and tailings.

“Tailings storage and management will be further refined as part of the ongoing Kasiya PFS Optimisation Study,” states Eagar.

Meanwhile, the Company has also announced that its Kasiya graphite concentrate is confirmed to be an excellent feedstock for natural graphite anode materials suitable for battery production.

Eager says that CSPG anode material produced from Kasiya graphite concentrate has performance characteristics comparable to the highest quality natural graphite battery material produced by dominant Chinese anode manufacturers.

“Electrochemical testing achieved very high first cycle efficiencies ranging from 94.2% to 95.8%, which supports long battery life. Additionally, there was excellent initial discharge capacities exceeding 360mAh/g, meeting the highest standards for natural graphite anode materials. The material also exhibited a very low specific area (BET) of ≤2.0m2/g minimizing lithium loss during the first battery charging cycle along with excellent tap densities of 1.11 to 1.18g/cm3 which allows for higher electrical storage,” says Eagar

He attributes the unique anode material results to the unique geological setting of the highly weathered Kasiya orebody compared to fresh rock hosted graphite deposits, including high purity of the natural flake, near perfect crystallinity, and very low levels of Sulphur and other impurities.

Combining its results as one of the largest graphite resources globally, industry low operating costs and lowest global warming potential, Kasiya is presenting significant advantages over its graphite peers, positioning it with highest potential to become a dominant source of graphite supply ex-China.

By Thokozani Kachingwe

The Malawi Government says it is advancing with preparations to extend the country’s railway network to the Northern Region.

Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Transport and Public Works Watson Maingo told Mining & Trade Review that currently the Ministry is preparing to conduct feasibility studies and later proceed with actual implementation of the project.

Maingo said that the purpose of the project is to reduce transport costs which will culminate into reduced prices for goods on the market including Malawi’s export commodities in so doing making them competitive globally.  

He said the project will also help to minimise pressure on the country’s roads which cater for transportation of a large percentage of goods in the country.

Maingo explained that the feasibility studies will, among other things, come up with the cost estimates for the project.

In a separate interview, Chairman of the Transport and Public Works Committee in Parliament Enock Phale said extending the railway to the Northern Region corridor will significantly help to reduce prices of commodities in the country as the rail, a relatively cheaper means of transport compared to roads, will also be used for the transportation of fuel.

Phale said: “Due to our overreliance on road transport, some types of the trucks that are driving on our roads are very heavy, thereby putting a lot of distress to our road network.”

“We need to diversify our modes of transport so that we have very heavy cargo hauled through rail.

He said Malawi needs not to lag behind in developing its rail network in order to establish a seamless rail transport network with other countries in the region which are also revamping their railway networks.

Phale also said developing the railway network is key to State President Lazarus Chikwera’s strategy of developing Agriculture, Tourism and Mining sectors to propel economic growth, which is dubbed the ATM strategy.

Though cut-off from the rail network, the northern region hosts a number of areas with potential for agriculture, mining and tourism activities.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs stated in the 2024 economic report that in this financial year, it will continue to work on the procurement of consultancy services for the study on establishing a railway line to the north.

The report reads: “The procurement for a Transaction Advisor to prepare a feasibility study for the extension of the railway line to Northern Malawi, was concluded and a service provider was identified by the Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC).”

By Modester Mwalija

Women in Malawi’s mining industry play an essential but often overlooked role. Despite their significant contributions to day to day livelihood, their potential remains largely untapped due to systemic challenges that hinder their progress.

In an interview with Mining and Trade Review, President of the Federation of Women and Youth in Mining (FWYM) Flore-Annie Kamanga explained that across the country, particularly in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASMs), women encounter limited access to resources, face health and safety risks and are restricted by cultural norms to pursue some vital roles in the trade.

“The reality is that most women in ASM are doing the hard, manual labour and they work long hours for very little pay. The conditions are often dangerous, leaving women vulnerable to exploitation,” she said.

Kamanga added that women in ASM also face significant challenges when it comes to accessing resources, technology, and training, making it difficult for them to improve their productivity or move beyond low-income activities.

 “Women have very little access to the resources they need, whether it is financial support or access to better technology and this limits their ability to grow in the industry.”

She also said that health and safety risks are another critical concern as women miners often work in hazardous conditions without adequate safety measures or protective equipment, exposing them to higher risks of injury and illness.

“Lack of protective gear is a major issue as many women are working in environments where they are exposed to harmful chemicals and dangerous conditions, and they do not have the necessary equipment to protect themselves.”

She explained that cultural norms further restrict women’s opportunities in the mining industry. These norms often prevent women from accessing higher-paying, skilled jobs, leaving them in roles that offer less financial reward and fewer opportunities for advancement.

“There is still a belief that women do not fit in certain roles in mining especially in the higher-skilled, better-paying jobs,”

Despite these obstacles, there has been some progress in raising awareness to, among other things, include more women in technical and leadership roles. However, Kamanga pointed out that progress remains slow, with gender disparities still prevalent across the sector.

“We are seeing some movement, but it is not enough, there is still a lot of work to be done to close the gender gap.”

Kamanga explained that advocacy groups and NGOs, including the Federation of Women and Youth in Mining, are working hard to promote women’s rights and improve their working conditions.

“We are doing everything we can to empower women in the mining sector and we are advocating for their rights, pushing for better conditions.”

Government has come up with several policies to address suich issues such as the National Gender Policy (2015) and the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III), both of which stress on gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, according to Kamanga, the effectiveness of these policies remains mixed.

“The policies are there, but implementation is where the challenge lies so we need stronger enforcement and better monitoring to make sure these policies are actually benefiting women on the ground.”

Looking forward, Kamanga outlined several key goals for the Federation of Women and Youth in Mining. One of the organization’s primary objectives is to advocate for higher female representation across all levels of the mining industry, from artisanal miners to executives in large mining companies.

“We want to see more women in leadership roles as we are pushing for gender quotas and more inclusive hiring practices to make sure women have equal opportunities,” she said.

Kamanga further said that another goal is to provide women and youth with the skills and education they need to participate meaningfully in the sector.

She said: “The importance of technical training, business management, and leadership development in empowering women to succeed in mining cannot be overemphasized.”

“Education and skills training are crucial, and there is a need to equip women with the tools they need to thrive in this industry.”

FWYM is also committed to influencing national and local policies to better protect and empower women in mining. Kamanga explained that the organization is advocating for stronger enforcement of gender equality provisions and greater support for women miners.

“We need the government to step up and ensure that the laws meant to protect women are enforced,” she said.

Kamanga highlighted that FWYM is building a network of women in mining; providing a platform for them to share resources, experiences, and support, noting the importance of mentorship programs and access to finance for women-led mining enterprises.

 “We need to create a strong community where women can help each other succeed in so doing we can significantly boost women’s participation in the industry,” she said.

She also observed that cultural change is essential for the future of women in Malawi’s mining sector. Through outreach, education campaigns, and partnerships with traditional leaders, FWYM is working to shift perceptions about women’s roles in mining and reduce gender-based discrimination.

Kamanga said: “We need to change how people view women in mining as this is not just about policy – it’s about changing mindsets.”

Besides gender inequality, other problems in small-scale mining sites include child labour, alcoholism, prostitution. marriage breakages and children dropping out of school.

By Wahard Betha

Over two months have elapsed since the Malawi Government signed Mining Development Agreements (MDAs) with Lancaster Exploration (a subsidiary of UK firm Mkango Resources) for the Songwe Hill Rare Earths Mining Project in Phalombe and ASX-listed Lotus Resources for the Kayelekera Uranium Mining Project in Karonga but the Government is yet to make the agreements public.

The two publicly listed companies only published some contents of their agreements with Lancaster listing the key components of its MDA as  5% royalty of gross revenue; 30% corporate tax rate;10% non-diluting equity Interest in the Project to Malawi Government; Exemption from customs and excise duties – Lancaster will be exempted from Export Duty, Import Duty, Import Excise and Import Value Added Tax (VAT) on imports and exports of capital goods as provided in the applicable law; 10 years stability period; 10 years Tax loss carry forward; and Community Development Expenditure as an allowable tax deduction.

On the other hand, Lotus announced in a Press Statement soon after the signing ceremony of the two MDAs that was convened in Lilongwe by the Presidential Delivery Unit that the key features of its MDA for Kayelekera Uranium Mine include:

 • A stability period of 10 years from date of execution during which the Project will not be subject to any detrimental changes to the fiscal regime

• Royalty rate of 5% and the corporate tax rate of 30%

• Tax losses from acquisition are included, with protection from disputes on tax refunds through the principle of tax set-off. The agreement also includes ability to restructure historical loans and tax losses on a tax neutral basis

• Malawi’s currently legislated Resources Rent Tax (RRT), which is not fit for purpose, does not apply. Instead, the Government of Malawi proposes to consider an alternate supernormal profits tax (that may consist of a sliding scale linked to uranium price) to replace the current RRT. The Company will receive a waiver until such time as this is effective.

• Exemptions for import and export duties, excise and Value Added Tax (VAT) on capital goods and on specified consumable items directly related to mine production

• Withholding Tax relief (currently 10% for a mining company) on dividends to Lotus for the majority of the mine life

• The maintenance of foreign currency bank accounts inside and outside Malawi that are supportive of project financier requirements

• A Community Development Agreement with a minimum value of 0.45% of project revenue set aside for community projects

• Specific legal protection is afforded to the Company, including security of tenure, dispute resolution and arbitration and non-discrimination.

But National Coordinator for Natural Resources Justice Network (NRJN), an umbrella grouping of civil society organizations working in the extractives sector in Malawi, said in an interview there is need for government to make public the entire MDAs including taking its contents to local communities affected by the projects.

He said it is incumbent upon the Malawi Government to implement the commitment of open contracting or disclosure of contracts under the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) of which Malawi is a member.

“From January 2021, the EITI standard set a requirement that every country fully disclose any contracts and licenses that are granted, entered into or amended,” he said.

Rashid explained that open contracting or disclosure of contracts is a vital tool in the resource governance that accountability institutions can use to hold the government accountable.

He said the tendency of hiding such agreements involving exploitation of natural resources propagates public suspicion of what is the contained in the agreements.  

Rashid said: “As a country we have to implement the commitment of open contracting/ disclosure of contracts under EITI.”

“Ever since we started mining in Malawi, only very few MDAs have been made public out of all the medium and large-scale mining activities in the country.”

“There is also a very serious corruption risk as though MDAs are signed there seems to be no accountability mechanisms in place for oversight on the executive arm of government and mining companies.”

“For the accountability institutions to hold government to account there is a need for the contracts to be made public.”

He said it is unfortunate that the Government is embracing EITI standards but failing to implement the commitment on the ground.

Rashid said: “The non-disclosure usually erodes public trust in the process as per historical experience that the public have had in the past over other undisclosed MDAs.”

“It is strange that the Government seems to be trying hard to embrace openness and accountability but challenging the efforts of an open and accountable mining sector.”

“One would expect government agencies to embrace the policies that government is proclaiming by proactively disclosing information but we are still kept in the dark leaving the public with suspicions and expectations.”

But Coordinator for Chamber of Mines and Energy Grain Malunga asked for patience from the general public as they are few processes that needs to be done before making the MDAs public.

“The MDAs will be made public. There is no secrecy about them. They have to be scanned and shared. It is long process,” he said.