Mining & Trade News

Members of the community in Mulanje have written the Malawi Government protesting its intention to declare Mulanje Mountain cultural landscape as a protected monument saying the move will disturb the rare earth and bauxite prospecting project that local firm Akatswiri  Mineral Resources is conducting in the area in so doing depriving the local community of potential benefits from mining.

The Mulanje Concerned Citizens are objecting the government’s decision in a letter signed by Chairperson Albert Muloma, Secretary Robert Patrick and Treasurer Robson Mpondo.

The letter has also endorsements by 10 traditional leaders from the area including Group Village Head Kazembe; and Village Heads Nkawera, Muhiyo, Kathumba, Mangombo, Namkwakwala, Chilanga, Gelegele, Harneri and Joseph.

The letter reads: “We want Government to rescind this decision because it will disturb the mining project underway in the mountain.”

“We are informed that the mining project will employ over 1,200 members of the local community and rake in foreign exchange in excess of US$200-millioon. This is a very significant amount as our country is struggling with the problem of lack of foreign exchange.”

“We will continue protesting on this issue until our grievances are addressed.” In its statement published in the local press on July 2, the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture through the Department of Museums and Monuments announced its intention to declare the Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape a protected monument.

The statement issued by order of the responsible Minister Honourable Richard Chimwendo Banda reads: “The Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape located in Mulanje and Phalombe Districts is recognised for its outstanding cultural, historical and spiritual significance. It contains sacred rain shrines, ancestral ritual sites, and cultural features of national and international importance and is currently undergoing evaluation for inscription as a United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage site.”

“Pursuant to Section 11 (2) of the Monuments and Relics Act 1991: 1. Notice is hereby given to all persons or bodies with an interest in the said monument to submit written representations with respect to this proposal. 2. Representations must be submitted within one (1) month from the date of publication of this notice.”

The statement says that after due consideration of any representations received within the prescribed period, the Minister may proceed with formal declaration of the Mulanje Mountain Cultural Landscape as a protected monument.

But the Concerned Mulanje citizens state in their letter that they fear that the declaration will disturb the prospecting activities since UNESCO comes with its own regulations for managing a heritage site.

“Declaration of heritage sites distract development projects, for example a water project was impacted in Mangochi following the same declaration on Lake Malawi National Park. We, natives of Mulanje, are not happy with the decision which authorities have made without any local consultations,” reads the letter addressed to the Office of President and Cabinet, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Mining and Mulanje District Commissioner.

In a separate letter addressed to the Secretary for Ministry of Local Government, Culture and National Unity, Group Chairman for Akatswiri Hilton Banda described the timing of the declaration, without clear indications of specific areas of interest over the Mt Mulanje cultural landscape to members of the general public including his company, as unreasonable and questionable.

He states that he finds it surprising that the decision has not been done in full consultations with the Ministry of Mining that issued his company with mineral rights over part of the area. Banda says:

“We feel the declaration may result in stifling and depriving the significant progress our mining project has made over the last seven years.”

“I therefore, wish to emphasize to your Ministry that as a Malawian owned company we are open to engage in any agreements with all relevant stakeholders without sterilising the mineral resource of the project area where we have already made progress in terms of both financial and technical terms where the company has so far invested and achieved a lot.”

The Chambe basin and Lichenya plateau located on western part of Mulanje Mountain are historically, one of the best high valued mineral potential areas that holds significant and major bauxite and rare earth elements deposits based on current and past feasibility studies.

Akatswiri has been carrying out detailed exploration of bauxite and rare earth elements over the Chambe basin and Lichenya plateau areas since 2018 that led to technical feasibility studies and eventually an application for an initial 15-year mining licence that has since been granted by the board of the Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority upon approval of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment report by the Malawi Environment and Protection Authority (MEPA).

The bauxite and rare earth project is expected to generate a minimum of US$260-Million annually,  significantly resolving Malawi’s forex crisis, reduce aluminium product imports; create at least 2,265 direct jobs to local Malawians; and contribute to at least 7% of royalties to Monument and Relic Conservation endeavours, as it uses zero-blasting techniques and aerial transport to minimise impacts.

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