‘Illegal mining threatens Nkhotakota Game Reserve’

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frican Parks has bemoaned illegal mining activities in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, saying the malpractice is a threat to wildlife and the tourism sector.

Speaking during a joint liaison committee meeting in Kasungu on Tuesday, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve African Parks manager David Nangoma said they reported over 600 illegal mining incidents in the reserve last year.

He said the miners are targeting gold deposits in Bua River which snakes through the park; hence, endangering a number of wildlife species, including fish.

Said Nangoma: “These things were not there because we had dealt with them. Actually, mining was taking place in the peripherals of the reserve.

“But in 2022, we experienced a lot of illegal mining activities right inside the game reserve and many people were arrested for that.

“The miners gave us a hell of time but we thank the police for acting swiftly arresting the culprits and the Judiciary for prosecuting the suspects.”

He also said they have been experiencing other illegal activities, including charcoal burning, poaching, theft and vandalising of the fence.

Nkhotakota district commissioner Ben Tohno thanked African Parks for supporting the meeting which brought togetherchiefs, police officers and other stakeholders.

He said the reserve is part of many tourist attraction sites that will help Nkhotakota to achieve its vision of becoming a tourism city.

Sitting on 1 800 square kilometres the country’s oldest and largest game reserve was home to at least 1 500 elephants, but the population reduced to less than 100 in 2015, forcing authorities in 2017 to translocate 500 elephants from Liwonde National Park in Machinga and Majete Wildlife Reserve in Chikwawa.