Transcript Day One Lusayo Banda Malawi country presentation

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OUTLINE
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Mineral Resources in Malawi
History of mining in Malawi
Mining companies in Malawi
Legal Framework
Economic Benefits
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Concerns
Oil mining on Lake Malawi
Challenges emanating from Mining
Companies and their role
Corporate Social Responsibility
Closer look at Kayelekera and Kanyika
Mines
Resettlements
Women’s Responses in these area
The role of our Organization
The role of other CSOs
Recommendations
Conclusion
MINERAL RESOURCES IN MALAWI
 Uranium
 Niobium
 Rare earth metals
 Gem Stones
 Bauxite
 Oil
 gas
Gold?
Nickel, etc.
Coal
Tantalum
BRIEF BACKGROUND
• Mining is a new sector in Malawi, Like many
countries, we are optimistic that Mining
ventures will translate into universal economic
development
• Malawi is now home to more than 15 mining
companies all in quest for minerals
MINING COMPANIES
Oropa Exploration Pty
Ltd
Paladin (Africa) Ltd
Globe Metals & Mining
Exploration Ltd
Eastbourne Exploration
Pty
Tanaka Resources Ltd
Surestream Petroleum
Ltd
Terrastone
Spring Stone
Nyalihanga Enterprises
Limited
Mantra Resources Ltd
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
• However, the shift in economic focus has taken
place without an assessment of the capacity of the
existent institutional, policy and legislative
framework to promote and ensure sustainable
mining, accurate estimation, transparent collection
and utilization of resource revenue.
• Most of the policies are old and outdated.
• New Mining Policy leaves a lot to be desired
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Recent reports show that Malawi is not benefiting
much from mining. It only:
• Contributes to less than 1% of the national
budget
• 10% towards the GDP
• 15% stake at Kayelekera Uranium Mine (The
largest mine in Malawi)
• 17% import duty removed
• Reduced Royalty Rate from 5%-1.5%
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
EIA procedures within the Malawi legislative
framework are also known to suffer from a
number of weaknesses.
• The law requires that the proponent of a project
in accordance with such guidelines should carry
out an EIA as the Minister may by Notice
published in the Gazette
• Public participation including the participation of
local communities is not an integral part of the
EIA process in Malawi
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Kayelekera:
- Water for domestic use is drawn from
rivers that passes through the mine.
-- The water plant was constructed about
1km south of the mouth of North
Rukuru. This is against the agreement.
-- Dust pollution on eastern side of the
village.
-- - Black paper from the mine used for
roofing houses.
-- Uranium Pollution in Water, Soil, Air,
Plant not known. Villagers lives in fear.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, CONTINUED
• Kanyika: Incidences of surface water turning yellow.
– Uranium pollution.
• Mchenga Coal Mine: Coal dust pollution
• Eland coal mine: Coal dust & chemical pollution in
surface water.
OIL MINING ON LAKE MALAWI
• And now, oil has been discovered on Lake Malawi
for Possible Exploration and Drilling
• Licenses awarded to two companies, Surestream
Petroleum and SacOil Holdings Limited to start
drilling oil on the lake
• Mixed views over Oil Exploration on the Lake
• Conflicts with our neighboring country Tanzania
• Over 2 million people depend on Lake Malawi for
their source of income, food, transportation and
water
CHALLENGES
SOCIAL CONCERNS
• Loss of livelihood
• Forces people out of their homes with little
or no compensation
• Impact on health
• Causes conflicts in communities
LABOUR ISSUES
• Workers are forced to work long hours
• No job security
• The pay is not good and workers are exposed
to hazardous situations
COMPANIES AND THEIR ROLE
It has been noted that these multinational companies do not
give Malawians optimum benefits from these extraction
activities. They do not even fulfill their corporate social
responsibility
PROMISES
1. $10 million water project
2. To build a state of the art
school
3. Will help build a mining
town
4. Community hall
5. $1.8 million trust fund
STATUS
Done (remains controversial)
Rehabililated an old one
Not done
Built
Not done
CSR
Is this the promised mining
town? No electricity, no tap
water
CSR continued
A CASE STUDY OF KAYELEKERA
KANYIKA MINING COMMUNITIES
AND
KAYELEKERA URANIUM MINE
• Community members especially women do not have
a say in issues affecting the community
• High HIV rate
• Contamination of fresh waters
• An increase in Female headed households
• Environmental destruction thus a decrease in food
productivity, forcing women into the informal
economy to find additional sources of income
• No access to health care especially Sexual
Reproductive Health Services
According to Dr Michael Kayange, the District Health Officer for
Karonga district “There is no clinic at Kayelekela community.
Kayelekela area is served by Wiliro Health Center; however
plans are at an advanced stage to have a full health center
constructed by Paladin at Kayelekela village. There is also a
staff clinic at the mine manned by a foreign medical doctor NOT
accessed by a common man.”
• Few women workers at the mine and some are
sexually exploited
Only a few women attended the meeting
KANYIKA NIOBIUM MINE
The major problem in this area is Land grabbing thus
massive displacements of people. Women and
Children suffer the most.
• Husbands sell land without knowledge of their
wives
• Relocate to areas where they can not do farming
• Forced to join the informal sector to raise money
RESSETLEMENTS
Kayelekera Uranium mine:
• Gondwe family – US$70 per
household for relocation.
Kanyika Niobium Mine:
• US$200 – US$1500
• Structures only not land
• Hunger due to delays in effecting
resettlements
WOMEN’S RESPONSE IN THESE AREAS
• Women are ready and willing to form groups-Our
Organization is working towards that
• Have formed groups where they lend each other
money when in need
There is still resistance from the community to let
women be part of the decision making processes
THE ROLE OF OUR ORGANIZATION
• We are working to improve the lives of women in
mining communities and to raise awareness on
mining issues for the Protection of the communities
rights and that women should be informed in
decision making
• We had a Community Action and Research project
which was setup to give support to the kayelekera
community in Karonga to be able to effectively
monitor the actions of the KUM. The members were
equipped with skills to organize small groups and
plan on how they can deal with problems arising from
the mine.
THE ROLE OF OTHER CSOs
• Christian Aid and PACT Malawi have comprehensive
programmes on integrated Cultural Approach
focusing on negative cultural practices
• Theatre for Development provides a mobile ART
Clinic providing ART and nutrition, peer education
among miners and wives
• Women and Law in Southern Africa
• Action Aid
• Nasfam works with a proportion of female members
to help set them up in sustainable income
generating activities.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Provide a platform through which women can voice out the
women rights violations and injustices within mining
communities and support women design action plans to
address these;
• If mining has to benefit women, the policy has to
seriously ensure improvement on the work safety,
security and sustainability issues of women workers in
mining and offer equal opportunity
• Mining projects sanctioned should be based on the
policy of people – centered approach (which includes
gender-centered) rather than market approach.
RECOMMENDATIONS CONTINUED
• Networking and Relationship building by CSOs
• Encourage networking of women in mining
communities, the larger the number, the more you
are heard.
• Malawi needs to develop appropriate policies,
monitoring and regulation mechanisms and
technical expertise across mining, environmental
and trade sectors, among others and ensure that
communities benefit from them.
CONCLUSION
Malawi is a patriarchy society in which women have
little or no say in issues that affect them or the
community. There is need to create awareness
through women’s voices on rights of women within
mining societies and spearhead a process of
addressing women rights violations in these
societies.
Malawi has a vast amount of resources, if well
managed, they can transform the lives of its people.
And to achieve this, we all need to work together.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
ZIKOMO KWAMBIRI