Committee threatens to reject mining bill

Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change chairperson Werani Chilenga says the committee is unhappy with the review process of the Mines and Minerals Act of 1981.

Chilenga, speaking in an interview on Monday, claimed their recommendations into the review process conducted last year have not been incorporated into the new law-currently in possession with Attorney General’s office.

He said his committee is set to reject the bill should it go to Parliament in the current form.

“After the consultations, we put forward our recommendations, but most of the recommendations were not taken on board and we don’t know what will happen between now and the 2015/16 Mid-Year National Budget review. But if the bill goes to Parliament the way it is now, we are not going to accept it,” threatened the legislator.

According to government sources, the bill was scheduled to be deliberated in Parliament during the last sitting, but was never debated.

Due to the delays in the enactment of the new Mining and Minerals Act, government has delayed to issue of mining licences until all overlapping tenure issues have been resolved.

The draft Mining and Minerals Act, among others, stipulates that the entire property in, and control over, minerals in land in Malawi are vested in the President on behalf of the people of Malawi; but without prejudice to the exercise of any right under or pursuant to this Act.

But in a recent interview, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines Ben Botolo said government is duty bound to ensure that the review process in transparent enough and procedural while accommodative more views from various stakeholders.

Mining experts believe the current Mines and Minerals Act is archaic and has not been responding to the emerging issues in the country’s infant mining sector.

Chairperson for the Natural Resource Justice Network (NRJN) Kossam Munthali said last week that there is need for consideration in the law to ensure that the interests of Malawians are not prejudiced.

“[It] needs to ensure that Malawians reap the greatest benefit from the exploitation of extractive resources in Malawi,” Munthali said. n