Mining & Trade News

It was in the wee hours of a Saturday when one enjoys a good sleep after a busy week when I was awakened by a strange call. It was a call from quite an unfamiliar number and it startled me that It was coming in such an odd hour:  “Bwana Chimwala!” That was the voice from the other end.  “Yes sir,” I responded with a lousy deep voice as I was half asleep.

“I am calling from Kayelekera Mine. I am one of the employees at the mine. Sorry to disturb your sleep. I want to explain to you what is happening here.”

“It is okay Sir. I am already awake, Go ahead.” I responded shedding off the sleep mood in a flash after hearing that the caller wanted to tell me a story involving my duties as a journalist.

What followed was his ordeal. He said he was speaking on behalf of fellow mine workers at Kayelekera Mine. He said he worked at Kayelekera during the previous operations when the mine was under Australia’s Paladin Africa who later halted operations in 2014. He re-joined the mine and is now working under Lotus Africa.

The man explained that the working conditions were far much better under Paladin than now citing that other mine workers are leaving for greener pastures at upcoming local mining projects such as Kangankunde and outside Malawi.  For example, he alleged that Paladin used to enrol mine workers and their families in a medical scheme while Lotus only caters for the individual worker leaving out the family members.

He also complained that the salaries for Malawians at the mine are miserable as compared to foreign employees alleging that foreign technicians from countries such as Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Zambia get in excess of K15-million take home pay at Kayelekera but Malawians of similar grades get less than K1-million after tax deductions.

I tried to reason with him that it could be that locals are receiving lower salaries because the Company is following the country’s labour laws in deciding their perks while foreigners are paid better salaries because they are recruited as expatriates.

The man further pointed out that during the Paladin days, there were weekly flights organised by Paladin to ferry employees originating from other regions to and from Blantyre and Lilongwe to visit their families. This arrangement is not there anymore during these Lotus days when employees are forced to rent substandard houses at Karonga Boma as they are not allocated accommodation at the mine.

But what mainly captured my interest were his complaints about meals provided by the Company: “Akungotidyetsa bonya ndi nyemba basi, Malume” meaning “they are only giving us meals with bonya and beans as relish, Uncle.”

In Malawi, the name “bonya” is given to very small dried usipa fish. Usipa is a small sardine like freshwater fish endemic to Lake Malawi widely consumed in Malawi and Mozambique.

This is the cheapest fish found on the market whose consumption  is mostly associated with low-income families though average and high income earners would still take bonya as a matter of choice not as part of a daily menu.  During political campaign periods, opposition politicians always accuse the ruling of feeding people bonya implying that their economic policies are leaving the masses in poverty.

Eating daily meals of beans is mainly associated with prisons because most of the prisons are known to provide maize meal (nsima) with beans to prisoners as a daily meal.

What this implies is that the miners feel they are provided with substandard meals This is what a Malawian miner could not expect understanding that mining is a lucrative business with prices of uranium mined at Kayelekera skyrocketing on the global market and major shareholders of the mining company living in luxury in global financial capitals.

Outsourcing is the answer

When Paladin Africa operated the Kayelekera Uranium Mine, Mota-Engil was the mining contractor and worked alongside other contractors in executing mining works. There were also a number of foreign and local service providers and suppliers.

However, when Lotus made the investment decision to reopen the mine, they opted to go into owner mining implying there is no mining contractor hired. The Company is only working with contractors handling smaller assignments, key suppliers, and service providers in different areas.

Reacting to the news, I said that this is not the right method because in order to better share benefits from the mine, Lotus needs to engage a mining contractor that must take on board a Malawian joint venture partner to contribute in meeting local content provisions and facilitate technology transfer to local contractors.

But a local director of Lotus was quoted in the Press arguing that it would be profitable for the Company to embrace owner mining at Kayelekera. But are all these negative issues not coming out due to this more profitable owner mining model?

I believe Lotus is a company with integrity that is pursuing sustainability principles in pursuing its projects. My plea to the directors is that while profit is at the core of any business, it is important to outsource most of the works and services to uphold the quality while not compromising on efficiency.

I believe if a small-scale contractor is hired just to undertake emergency works around Kayelekera, it cannot take time to repair the bridge damaged due to overflow of Sere River or any damaged infrastructure in the locality that the Company wants to repair as part of Corporate Social Responsibility.

I believe if a catering company from Karonga is hired to provide meals to the mine workers at Kayelekera, they would not be these bonya and beans menu complaints.

I believe if a media or public relations firm is recruited at Kayelekra, it would work with Management to make sure that the Company maintains high standards on different areas of operations to avoid these disgraceful allegations on bonya.

The local Kayelekera workers are certainly singing better songs of the Paladin days compared to the current scenario because Paladin was outsourcing most of the works and services and I think it is important for Lotus to emulate this. A contractor or a consultant will perform to the best of its capability in order to satisfy the master. This helps in improving and upholding quality and efficiency of operations.

Malawi needs a better Kayelekera than in Paladin days

To wrap it all, Malawi needs a better Kayelekera than in the Paladin days. If Paladin was able to sponsor a local football club in Karonga, Paladin FC, any Malawian of good will would appreciate If Lotus, as a Karonga-based corporate citizen of goodwill, starts sponsoring Karonga United Football Club. This is a club which has been performing well in Malawi’s elite league despite financial struggles.

If Paladin was offering scholarships to selected Malawian doctors to train in Australian universities in treating cancer, which is associated with radioactivity resulting from exposure to uranium, any Malawian of good will would appreciate if Lotus continues with such a programme.

When former President Lazarus Chakwera officially inaugurated the Kayelekera Uranium Mine, he called for a better Kayelekera than the Paladin days that would adequately benefit Malawians under Lotus. Definitely a better Kayelekera is a Kayelekera where local employees enjoy equal benefits with foreigners of the same grade doing similar work.

Definitely a better Kayelekera does not come with a daily menu of nsima with bonya  and beans for mine workers. Daily bonya meals are a myth for miners of uranium who would not be comfortable to encourage their children to work hard in school and be employed in mines with.such conditions.

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