Concerned citizens have given PressCane three days to halt ethanol production until it fully compensates the rural population affected by its waste spills near Dyeratu Market in Chikwawa District.
The calls came on Friday—World Environment Day—barely two weeks after the Malawi Environmental Protection Agency (Mepa) lifted a four-month ban on the ethanol factory until the company cleans up and pays for the loss and damage.
The group accused Mepa of reopening the factory shortly after the company presented a K895 million cheque for almost 2 000 affected farmers selected by Chikwawa District Council.
However, the concerned locals said Mepa erred by lifting the ban before all possible payouts to households affected by the pollution of land, air and water, including the rusting of iron sheets.
On Friday, they presented a petition to Chikwawa district commissioner Frank Mkandawire and held a press briefing in concert with the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) executive director Silvester Namiwa.
They threatened to resume vigils at PressCane gates if authorities ignore their petitions, but the company said it complied with the requirements outlined by environmental protectors.
“We want the company to pay for all the loss and damage caused in communities surrounding its Dyeratu waste ponds and the process should be conducted transparently by an independent valuer,” Amos Kavina, one of the 13 concerned citizens, told journalists after the march.
Namiwa expressed a vote of no confidence in the soil and crop assessments by Chikwawa District Council.
“What is happening, including the part-payment of compensation, is a mockery to the affected people. Does government care about profits or the lives of its citizens?” said Cdedi executive director Silvester Namiwa.
He said compensation assessments lacked transparency, fairness, credibility and community input.
“Affected communities’ voices and representatives were sidestepped when PressCane chief executive officer Bryson Mkhomaanthu presented the cheque to Chikwawa DC last month,” he said.
However, the PressCane boss said the compensation issues were misrepresented and PressCane operations strictly adheres to the processes and directives mandated by regulatory authorities.
“As a regulated entity, compliance is core to our procedures,” he said, referring further questions to Mepa director general Wilfred Kadewa, who has yet to exercise the authority’s right to reply.
On May 18, the Mepa boss wrote PressCane, lifting the stop order following “significant progress in the rehabilitation of effluent ponds, payouts and environmental restoration.
