The Malawi Government through the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining has trashed reports of illegal gold mining by CP Feeds at an area between Senzani and Phalula along the M1 road in Ntcheu.
This follows social media reports which started circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook on 8th November, 2018 about the illegal mining of gold by CP Feeds.
It was reported that about 50 km west of the main road between Senzani and Phalula there is a vast area that is being cleared and dug with earth moving machines and also huge water tanks for water used to process the gold.
However, the ministry through a statement signed by the ministry’s principal secretary Patrick Matanda says on 10th November 2018, the Department of Mines deployed a team of Mine Inspectors to the site and conducted investigations.
According to the ministry, the area in question is 3.7 km west of the Zalewa road and not 50 km as reported and is on a ridge and slightly steeping.
“Crown has cleared a large expanse of land approximate size of one football field. The company used bulldozer to clear and level the land and also dig foundations. The area is for the construction of chicken pens and other farm buildings,” says the statement.
The inspectors found that at the site there is no any equipment synonymous with mining such as diggers, dump trucks, front-end loaders and crushers and that there was not even a single sign of drilling and use of explosives to blast the rocks.
“The preliminary investigations have shown that it is a construction site for farm buildings and not a mining site. If anyone has any information contrary to the findings above please present such information to the Ministry,”the statement says.
It adds that the ministry is equally concerned with issues of illegal mining and all mining malpractices and will vigilantly pursue all cases so as to have discipline in the sector.
Meanwhile, the ministry has requested all members of the general public to report any illegal mining activities to the Director of Mines or to the Geological Survey Department.
