Mining & Trade News

The Lilongwe City Council has advised burnt brick moulders in the city to migrate to moulding cement blocks in order to conserve the city’s environment.

Lilongwe city council’s director of Parks, Recreation and Environment Allan Kwanjana told Mining & Trade Review in an interview that the government with the spirit of protecting the environment from the destruction caused by the process of molding and burning bricks is taking an important direction that those involved in this destructive practice should be taxed heavily to eventually drive them out of the business.

Kwanjana explained that there is a lot of sand in the shores of Lake Malawi and along some big rivers in Malawi which if used technologically can be developed to come up with cement blocks which can be used for construction instead of burnt bricks.

He also said that the government is doing everything necessary to encourage the cement brick business and also encouraging investors to invest in new technologies that will come up with building materials which are environmental friendly.

Kwanjana said the Council is contemplating “developing guiding policies with legislative tools to enforce environmental friendly practices to gradually stop this way of creating building materials.”

He also said that those who are involved in the burnt bricks business should be required to restore the land they have destroyed by burying the pits they create and plant vegetation and tree.

Kwanjana also pointed that the move to stop the practice of molding and burning bricks will affect both the manufactures of the burnt bricks and the users economically.

But brick moulders in the City have put their foot down insisting that they will continue their trade despite government’s pressure to stop the business.

Charles Jumbe, a brick moulder who does business in Chiudzira Township in the City, told Mining & Trade Review that without the government empowering them with seed capital to upgrade into the cement blocks business, they cannot leave the business of moulding and burning bricks.

Jumbe said for one to venture into cement block production, there is need for huge capital injection to purchase raw materials such as cement and quarry dust.

“The business of burnt bricks puts food on my table and pays my utility bills and for me to venture into cement block business I need to generate at least some millions of Kwacha which I cannot afford,” said Jumbe.

He called on government to engage financial institutions to ease conditions for the brick moulders to acquire loans so that they have the capacity to start the cement block production business.

Another brick moulder based in Nathenje, Bright Mkuche said he cannot stop the business because it is his only way of survival.

“Cement blocks are for those who have got cash and most of us, Malawians, in brick business are poor hence cannot afford to venture into this very expensive venture,” Mkuche said.

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