Article By Alick Mhango
KARONGA: Community of Mpata, one of the areas with different minerals, and the media fraternity in Karonga the northern part of Malawi have asked Church and Society Programme of Synod of Livingstonia to extend its one year project that deals with mining issues in their locale claiming that there are some gaps that they think the project might ably deal with.
The project which aimed at empowering the community is known as the advocacy campaign for an inclusive, responsive and extractive industry in Malawi and is financed by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) with $ 74, 0000 and it is begun implemented in the four districts in the region that include Karonga, Rumphi and Mzimba.
Despite a big role that the project has done to the community and media, people from Mpata area said that the period for the project was too short to address the problems that they are facing especially because they are ignorant of mining.
“Of course we have learnt more from the project however we are still ignorant in some areas hence it is worrying to hear that the project will phase out this month end April 2016. For instance, as I am talking the Khayuti coal Mine Company that operates in our area is yet to fulfill its promises contained in the Memorandum of Understanding. In addition there is still lack of transparency and accountability in how carry out their mining activities,” said Regina Njerenje, chairperson for the OSISA
in the area.
William Kalambo also said “the project message is yet to reach some people in the very rural community as its period was too short, hence, extending it will help the whole community to be conversant with mining governance.”
“You know that the area is rich in minerals resources and a number of mining investors are flocking here just to steal our resources since they know that we are ignorant. In this regard, giving us additional training will make us be independent particularly in lobbying development projects from the companies,” Kalambo added.
According to the communities, the project has helped to open their eyes especially on their rights and responsibilities on mining, a thing which has made them ably pressure the company to adhere to environmental rehabilitation and labor rights.
On their part, while commending the project, the media club in the district known as Karonga Press Club said “extending the project will minimize some of the major challenges the media were facing especially on accessing information from the mine investors.”
“Most of the companies here are very reluctant in giving us information or allowing us to visit their mining site, so this is mostly jeopardizing our work and we would therefore like the organization to help us address this problem,” said Cosmas Chimaliro, the District Information Officer (DIO).
In his remarks, the project coordinator Paul Mvula said “as an organization we are happy with how the community as well as the media responded to the project. On issue of extending the project, we shall raise it with OSISA, the organization that funded this project. We are sure they will positively respond.”
