‘Community, stakeholder engagement on energy exploration critical’

Community engagement on mining projects is important for the sustainability of natural resources the country is endowed with, a mining consultant has said.

Charles Kaphwiyo, a mining consultant and former director of mines in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, said on Friday in Mangochi that there is need to educate people from the grass roots on the importance of the draft petroleum policy and how it will benefit them.

He was speaking during a consultative meeting the ministry organised to brief stakeholders on the policy and to seek their views.

Said Kaphwiyo: “With exploration and mining activities expanding into areas close to people’s settlements and onto farming land, there is need for a total engagement with the locals as well as stakeholders to have their views and accommodate them so that when mining companies start their work everybody should leap benefits.”

One of the participants, Aggrey Mfune, thanked the ministry for coming up with an elaborate policy on mining, saying if what is contained in the policy it will be implemented, people  in surrounding areas where mining activities are taking place will benefit. n