100 mining licences at risk over delays
Delays to roll out operations have put at least 100 mining companies at risk of losing their licences, it has emerged.
Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno, speaking in an interview after touring Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas) limestone exploration site in Balaka on Saturday, said it was disappointing that most companies granted mining licences are yet to start their mining activities on the ground.
She said her ministry has started engaging the concerned companies.
Said Chang’anamuno: “We have written them letters so that they should tell us the bottlenecks they are facing. We have given them the timeframe and that is within our laws.
“So, those that are not going to respond within the time period that we have given them, we are going to cancel their licences, so that we can issue licences to those that are serious with mining business.”
She commended Mubas for venturing into limestone exploration at Chemkumbi in Balaka, just about a month after obtaining its exploration licence.
In a separate interview, Mubas vice-chancellor Associate Professor Nancy Chitera said the tertiary institution plans to start manufacturing lime and cement through its company, Mubas Commercial Limited.
She said the company also plans to build a mining plant in the district where it will create at least 1 000 jobs.
Said Chitera: “This facility that we are putting up, apart from generating revenue for the institution, we are also going to use it as a living lab, where students will be going and experience the actual processes within their particular fields.”
Minister of Education Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, who accompanied Chang’anamuno, asked other universities to emulate Mubas’ example and make themselves self-reliant institutions.
Mubas head of Mining Engineering Department Joshua Chisambi said the site has the potential to produce about one million tonnes of limestone annually for a period of between 24 and 50 years.
