Don’t exploit workers—minister
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Mungasulwa Mwambande has warned companies in the mining industry not to exploit Malawians working at their sites by paying them low wages.
The deputy minister also told the companies to provide protective gears to their workers.
Mwambande issued the warning when he toured Kasitu Coal Mine in Karonga on Friday.
He also asked the coal mine and other companies in the mining industry to help government in providing social basic amenities to the communities they are working in.
Said Mwambande: “We know you make a lot of money from mining. It is wise and proper to give back to the community where your resources are coming from.
“As government, we expect all the areas where mining is taking place in the country to develop and people’s livelihoods to improve.”
Kasitu Coal Mine administrative officer Last Strawo pledged to complement government’s efforts in improving people’s living standards in the area by providing basic social amenities.
He said the company and the community signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that it will be implemented in due course.
Strawo said: “We have a good working relationship with community members.
“As a company, we will implement what we agreed in our MoU.”
He said communities want three boreholes, a clinic and a mobile tower network.
Recently, different miners in Chitipa and Karonga have been taken to task for not fulfilling their corporate social responsibility. Kasitu Coal Mining has 50 employees and 37 of them are from the district.
