Govt suspends issuing of mining licenses amid illegality saga

By Austine Kananji

Lilongwe, February 25, Mana: Government has confirmed the suspension of all kinds of mining licenses inorder to address the existing gaps towards a robust illegal mining pending the review of legal and mining framework.

The Minister of energy and mining, Jean Mathanga said this during the 52nd parliamentary session in Parliament house when she presented a statement on the status of mining in Malawi, stating that unlicensed mining will no longer be tolerated.

She said the government has introduced a task team comprising of all security agency including Malawi defence force and Malawi police, to respond on any issues to do with mining as they will be flushing out all illegal miners and also protect the miners.

She then noted that her ministry has crafted 19 regulations which are better stages to the development.

Mathanga said, “Mr first deputy speaker sir my ministry has commenced the process of reviewing the mines and minerals policy which will be ready for dissemination by December 2026”.

She also said that her ministry is finalising the processes of organising involved illegal miners and small scale miners into cooperatives so that the ministry reaches them with messages concerning the environment, security, safety, and the know how in the practice of mining.