Article By: Alick Mhango
KARONGA (MaraviPost iReport): Community surround the Mwenenguwe coal mine site in Karonga the northern part of Malawi has hailed the Church and Society organization which is under the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia for curbing some of the major challenges they face with the mining activities in their area especially by empowering them through its sensitization campaign.
Speaking during the meeting on Friday, Regina Njerenje said they had different kind of problems as well as misunderstanding with the coal mine company in their area but the coming of Church and Society organization with its one year project has strongly normalize things.
However, Njerenje disclosed that they are also some problems that are still affecting them and she therefore asked the organization to help them ironing out before the ending of the project.
“First of all I want to thank the Church and Society organization for opening our eyes especially on our rights and responsibilities on mine issues. This has made us to deal with some problems that were affecting us particularly with the coal mine company in our area,” applauded Njerenje.
“For example, at first we did know that we also have rights and responsibilities in mining issues, this was fueling to bribes between the mine company and the duty bearers as well as spoiling our environment. But after being sensitized we are now able to confront the owner of the company on our own,” said Njerenje.
Adding that “however, they are also some problems remaining such as the company’s failure to drill a borehole and construct two teachers’ houses as we agreed in our Memorandum of Understanding. On top of that, some of our chiefs are still doing bribes with the company as one way of silencing us, for instance some of them have recently received expensive mobile phones.”
Concurring with Njerenje, the group village headman Mwenenguwe while commending the organization said his subjects are now drinking bad water due to the company.
“Of course the Church and Society organization has changed a lot of things in my area especially by empowering the community; however the company is still killing us. Just imagine we are drinking water that has been polluted with the coal residues which drains into the River Towo which the community here depends for consumption,” said the chief.
“What you should know is that this is the only organization that has come out to assist us here as many of them are just dealing with Uranium Company at Kayerekera, therefore we are asking the organization to extend its project so that it can help us in ending these problems,” pleaded the chief.
In his remarks, the project coordinator Paul Mvula urged the community to practice evidence base advocacy saying “it is the only way of voicing out their problems.”
Mvula also donated an Android cell phone through the project to the community while assuring them that his organization will organize a round table discussion with their duty bearers in order to deal with the remained problems.
“What we want as organization is to see you the community carrying evidence base advocacy when dealing out with your problems. To achieve this, the organization through the project decides to donate this Android cell phone that will help you to take photos as well as voices as your evidence. Apart from this the phone will help you to access online news and sending out your reports,” said Mvula.
The Church and Society organization is carrying a one year project known as ‘an advocacy campaign for an inclusive, responsive, accountability and transparent extractive industry in Malawi’ in Mzimba, Karonga and Rumphi districts with a 70 million financial support from Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA).
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