African Parks decries illegal gold mining

 African Parks has expressed fear that there will be increased illegal gold mining activities in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in the coming months as water levels in Bua River recede.

Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve park manager Davie Nangoma told a stakeholders meeting in Kasungu on Wednesday that illegal mining activities were rampant as people invade the protected area panning gold deposits.

He said: “Gold mining activities are destructive to the ecosystem and our intelligence shows that the activities will increase as we approach drier months of the year.

“We ask police for more support. We may also consider engaging the Malawi Defence Force.”

However, Nangoma said vandalism has gone down this year as only seven kilometres of the perimeter fence has been vandalised against last year’s 29.

He said African Parks has invested in hospitality infrastructure, citing the completion of Livwezi Bush Camp and Navunde Tourism Stop-Over under construction.

During the meeting, stakeholders expressed concern that the country’s laws do not provide for compensation to victims of human-animal conflict, especially where animals kill or injure people.

Kasungu East legislator Madalitso Kazombo said there was need to conduct a study on how other countries are managing such cases.

“We need to be guided if there is need to change the laws on compensation because I understand that laws must be progressive and able to solve people’s challenges,” he said.

Kasungu District Council chairperson Mwambilaso Mbedza said tourism was one of the government’s priority areas; hence, the need for stakeholders to pull in the same direction to protect wildlife reserves