Villagers around Kangankunde Hill in Balaka have expressed fears of possible health risks from dust emitted along the road leading to the mining site where Australian Stock Exchange-listed firm, Lindian Resources Limited, is exploring rare earth minerals.
The communities say the dust, if not controlled, may expose them to respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis.
One of the concerned villagers, Allena Maseko from Makolora Village under Traditional Authority Chamthunya, raised the concerns on Tuesday during a mining dialogue organised by ActionAid Malawi. The meeting focused on health, human rights, and environmental issues surrounding the Kangankunde and Ng’onga mining sites—the latter operated by Portland Cement Limited.
Maseko alleged that Lindian Resources is not fulfilling its promises regarding community health and safety.
“They promised to deploy water bowsers regularly to suppress dust along the road, but this is not happening. We are worried as a community,” she said.
She also claimed the company had pledged to provide milk to residents living along the road but has not fulfilled the promise.
The villagers further complained that the destruction of Kangankunde Forest as a result of mining activities has deprived them of their source of livelihood.
“We used the forest for beekeeping, but its destruction has left us vulnerable,” Maseko added.
However, Kangankunde Site Manager Daniel Brits said some of the issues raised, such as dust suppression, have already been addressed.
ActionAid Malawi Project Officer Charles Finis Phiri described the dialogue as successful, saying it provided a platform for affected communities to voice their concerns freely.
The interface meeting brought together traditional leaders, officials from the Ministry of Mining, the Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority, and representatives from the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA), Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA), and the Natural Resources Justice Network (NRJN).
The meeting was part of the ongoing Climate Just Transition for Mining-Affected Communities Project, being implemented by ActionAid Malawi in partnership with NRJN, with funding from SwedBio through ActionAid South Africa.
