MDF crack down on illegal miners in Namizimu Forest

By Tawonga Mayuni

The Malawi Government has scaled up its efforts to end illegal gold mining in Namizimu Forest in Mangochi by deploying Malawi Defense Force (MDF) soldiers to kick out the miners and illegal gold and gemstone buyers who include immigrants from various countries in Africa and beyond.

The development follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Mining and Ministry of Defence on regulations and protection of mining sites in the country which will see the two parties exercising their rights and perform their obligations in a co-operative, consultative, and transparent manner.

Minister of Defence Harry Mlekanjala Mkandawire, who signed the MOU on behalf of his Ministry, said a well-managed mining industry has got the potential to change the economic status of the country, hence the need to jealously safeguard the mineral resources in the country.

Mkandawire thanked the Ministry of Mining for coming up with the initiative which he said will go a long way in curbing illegal mining and smuggling of minerals.

Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno observed that the smugglers and illegal miners have the potential to jeopardize national security hence the need to deal with such malpractice through security agencies including the MDF.

Mining and Trade Review has, however, established that the situation is proving tricky for the Government to kick out illegal miners in Namizimu Forest as the miners always run away when the soldiers appear at the mining site but keep coming back to continue with their operations after the soldiers have left.

Representatives of small scale miners have, meanwhile, blamed the Department of Forestry in the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources for the chaos saying despite the Ministry of Mining issuing licenses to small scale miners to mine in Namizimu Forest so that they should be selling the mining products including gold and gemstones to Export Development Fund (EDF), the Department of Forestry is refusing to grant the miners permits to mine in the forest.

“The Department of Forestry should give Forestry Permits to the miners and more licenses should be given to individual miners and ASM cooperatives in order for sanity to prevail not only in Namizimu Forest but in the whole ASM sector,” said Chikomeni Manda, a small scale miner who is also Managing Partner for Perekezi ASM Consultants.

Manda said it is imperative for the Ministry of Mining to strike an agreement with the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources to allow only licensed miners to continue mining in Namizimu Forest other than resorting to the use of force.

He said using the Military in dealing with illegal mining has never worked in the country or other countries, and the best way has always been facilitating formalization of the ASMs.

“The up bottom approach has never worked with small scale miners, there is need for the bottom up approach. The best way is to sit down with them and talk on the way forward,” Manda said

He observed that the use of the military to chase out the miners is bringing confusion instead of brining sanity in the ASM sector.

National Coordinator for Natural Resources Justice Network (NRJN) Kennedy Rashid said in an interview that sending the MDF to do the work of the Police in Namizimu Forest does not make sense.

“It does not make sense to send the MDF to do the work of the Police as if we do not have any Police officers in Malawi. The challenge we have had in Namizimu is that there are few police officers compared to the number of illegal miners in Makanjira,” he said

Rashid said there is need to equip the Forestry Department and the Police to efficiently do their work in Namizimu Forest.

Rashid said: “Our Police Service should be on the ground ensuring that the laws of Malawi are adhered to. Immigration should also do inspections of these areas as a lot of illegal immigrants have been flocking to the area.”

He said that the government also needs to be realistic with the formalization of the ASM sector

But Manager for Precious Metals and Minerals at Export Development Fund (EDF) which is a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) mandated to buy gold from local ASMs Elyvin Nkhonjera said the MDF operation is justifiable as long as it is targeting illegal miners.

She, therefore, stressed the need to classify the miners as illegal or not before conducting such as operation for fear of victimizing innocent ASMs who are doing their business legally.

She said: “We need to classify the miners because some of the victimized miners have licenses while others have applied for the licenses but the system is delaying them, the government should support them to get licenses.”

 “We need to support the miners who are willing to get formalized instead of just victimizing them because they rely on gold mining for survival. The ones that are resistant to formalization are the ones to be chased.”

Nkhonjera said formalization of the ASMs is the only solution to illegal mining and not using force to stop mining because the miners can never stop because they engage in the activity for their survival.

She also said efforts should not be directed towards dealing with illegal mining only but also gold smuggling urging security agencies to arrest middlemen who smuggle gold which they buy from the ASMs.

“They should not just focus on Namizizimu Forest, there is Tukombo in Nkhata Bay too. The Ministry of Mining should focus on the middlemen who smuggle the gold. Put efforts on smuggling, lock up our borders and the gold will stay with RBM and our forex will be secured,” she said

Nkhonjera also disclosed that EDF is working on facilitating formalization of ASMs by giving them information on how to get formal and so far it has managed to help ASMs in Namizimu forest to apply and get licenses for selling and buying gold.

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