4 firms fined for breaching environmental regulations

Malawi Environment Protection Authority (Mepa) has imposed penalties worth K3 million each to four companies in Blantyre for alleged non-compliance with environmental standards in accordance with the Environment Management Act (2017).

The protection and administrative orders follow a story our sister newspaper Nation on Sunday carried in its edition of  February 18 2024 that some companies were releasing toxic fumes which are choking residents while others let effluent flow into rivers, thereby polluting water. 

Following the publication, officials from Mepa last week visited the suspected companies in Blantyre to verify the allegations and faulted five companies for not complying with some environmental requirements.

The companies, namely ZY Investment, Fasa, Africa Dairy Limited at Mapanga, Auhad Steel Manufacturer (Pvt) at Maone and Mapeto David Whitehead and Sons at Makata were on Saturday issued with the fines and warnings.

However, according to Mepa, the cautions bordered on various breaches and either attracted a fine of K3 million or just a warning like in the case of Africa Dairy Limited at Mapanga.

The company, which produces fresh milk, raises cattle on its farm and the cow dung allegedly produces a smell that makes surrounding communities uncomfortable.

Mepa asked the company to find solutions to mitigate the smell.

“The environmental protection orders the company to stop all actions or conduct which cause, contribute or are likely to cause or contribute to pollution in accordance with the Act,” reads the order in part.

In an interview after receiving the warning, Africa Dairy Limited administrative officer Lawson Chigwenembe, while feigning surprise at the warning, welcomed it and pledged to do everything possible to address the problem.

“Although we inherited the cattle farm from our predecessor, we will try our best to address the issues raised by Mepa,” he said.

However, there was tension at ZY Investment at Mapanga where the company’s management hesitated to sign the document from Mepa bearing a penalty of K3 million for failing to conduct an environmental compliance audit and raising the chimney to allow smoke to go far into the atmosphere.

Yet, during a media tour of the companies on Saturday, Mepa and journalists found workers at ZY extending the chimney as one way of complying with the regulations.

Looking visibly angry, a Chinese official made a few calls around, perhaps in a bid to solicit guidance and finally refused to sign the document.

As the male Chinese was busy making calls, a female one was seen taking a video of the journalists and Mepa officials using her smartphone.

Nevertheless, Mepa officials left the document and proceeded to another company, Fasa, where the officials cooperated with Mepa officials and the media.

Fasa Product Limited human resources manager Stewarts Kumwembe said the company was ready to comply with the order to conduct environmental audits on a regular basis.

Another company, Auhad Steel Manufacturer (Pvt) was fined K3 million for failing to conduct an environmental compliance audit.

The company’s operations manager Stanley Chisiano said they started complying with some of the orders.

“For example, we stopped using oil as a source of energy when smelting steel metal. We now use coal,” he said.

However, at Mapeto David Whitehead and Sons, which has also been fined K3 million for allegedly failing to recycle used materials before releasing them, Mepa did not find authorities who could sign their document. They said the documents would be delivered today.

The four companies have been given 14 days to pay K3 million and up to April 30 to produce environmental audits.

In a separate interview yesterday, Mepa acting director general Taonga Mbale Luka said the orders and penalties follow the inspection exercise which was conducted last year to several companies in Blantyre to assess their compliance levels on Environmental Management Act.

 Luka said they noted that some companies have complied with the measures given while some have not fully complied; hence, giving them administrative penalties of K3 million. n

—Additional reporting by MEMORY CHATONDA, Contributor