Malawi police caution on illegal sand mining
Police in Lilongwe have warned against mining sand by the roadside saying the act is against the law and punishable.
Assistant Commissioner Aubrey Nyirenda issued the warning on Sunday following rampant sand mining activities that have been taking place along the newly constructed Lilongwe West By-pass Road which passes through traditional authorites (T/As) Kalumba, Tsabango and Malili.
Earlier on Thursday, Malawi Police Service (MPS) in conjunction with Roads Authority (RA) conducted a sensitisation meeting on the dangers of sand mining along the roads.
Said Nyirenda: “This is a crime under Section 118 sub Section 1 read together with Section 2 under Mines and Minerals Act that whoever illegally mines along the roads is against the law.”
The officer, who is also regional community policing coordinator, said that the malpractice, if not stopped on time, will promote erosion and eventually wash away parts of the roads thereby reducing the roads’ life span.
A week ago, police in Lilongwe arrested 37 people for their involvement in illegal sand mining in the city.
In his remarks, member of Parliament (MP) for Lilongwe Rural Central, Lobin Lowe (Malawi Congress Party-MCP), stressed the need for tight security in his area to prevent any more sand mining and crime rate which according to him has also increased with the construction of the by-pass road.
Senior Group Buluzi and chairperson of the community policing forum in the area, Rashid Phiri, assured the police that the communities around will now play a big role to ensure security along the road.
