Mist dogs publication of Malawi’s fourth EITI report

By Tawonga Nyirenda Mayuni

There is an aura of uncertainty regarding submission of the Malawi Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (MWEITI) 2017/2018 report to the International EITI Secretariat in Norway in time before the next validation scheduled for January 2021 following the reluctance of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in extractive sector to submit their input to the report.

National Coordinator for Natural Resources Justice Network (NJRN) Kennedy Rashid says in an interview with Mining & Trade Review that the refusal of the CSO’s to submit their input to the MWEITI report stems from their stand against corruption which they believe has crippled the mining sector following revelations of corruption allegations shrouding the renewal of a mining license for Ilomba Granite Mine in Chitipa.

Audio clips that circulated on social media revealed a discussion between a top ranking government official and a Chinese investor for Ilomba hinting on that the government officials renew the license in exchange for monetary favours. This prompted CSOs led by NRJN Chairperson Kossam Munthali to walk out of the MSG meeting which was held at Capital Hotel in Lilongwe for the Independent Administrator to acquire inputs of the report from the MSG members including representatives of government, CSOs and extractive companies.   

But Rashid said their inputs to the report as CSOs are already consolidated and they are only waiting for the government to walk the talk on looting out corruption in the mining sector.

“As CSO’s we will maintain out position against corruption until government acts on the Ilomba issue whether administratively and or through criminal litigation processes,” he said

Rashid said the CSOs are sticking to their guns on the issue because EITI is all about the fight against corruption and as CSO’s they cannot live side by side with corruption.

“We are not robbing Malawians, we are Malawians also and we cannot accept systems that are corrupt to be part of our public service. The public officials use our taxes and if the officials distort the domestic resource mobilisation processes for Malawans like the Ilomba case for their own interests we shall stand against such processes,” he said.

Rashid said EITI should not be understood as just a report but an advocacy tool for checking domestic resource mobilisation processes and resource redistribution processes.

“MWEITI process is not just any process, rather it is a process that makes sure that there is accountability and transparency in the mineral resource governance,” he said

MWEITI Coordinator Catherine Chilima said she could not comment much on the issue of the report as “matters of the CSO’s and the extension of the deadline for the submission of the report are still under discussion and the outcome of the discussions will be communicated.”

For the first time, Malawi contracted a local Independent Administrator EMJ Advisory to compile the EITI report which details government revenue from the sector covering mining, oil and gas, and forestry.