Communities around Chenkumbi Hill, in Ng’onga under Senior Chief Nsamala in Balaka District, could be facing environmental risks after a governance watchdog alleged that a Chinese cement company, Portland Cement Limited was allowed to mine limestone without conducting a legally required environmental assessment, a development that has now triggered calls for a parliamentary investigation.
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has written to the Natural Resources Parliamentary Committee, accusing authorities of granting a mining licence to Portland Cement Company to extract limestone at Chenkumbi Hill in Balaka without the company conducting its own Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), as required by the Malawi Environmental Protection Act of 2017.
In the letter seen by this publication, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester, says the issue came to light during an October 8, 2025 meeting held at the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) boardroom, which followed the organization’s September 12, 2025 letter invoking the Access to Information Act.
In that letter, CDEDI demanded public disclosure of the project brief, minutes leading to the approval of the ESIA and the ESIA report allegedly submitted by Portland.
According to CDEDI, MEPA Director General Wilfred Kadewa, who chaired the meeting, disclosed that Portland Cement relied on a 13-year-old Environmental Impact Assessment that had been conducted by Lafarge Cement Company, which previously intended to undertake mining at the same site.
CDEDI claims that at the time, neither MEPA nor the Department of Environmental Affairs had valid documentation justifying the transfer of the EIA report from Lafarge to Portland.
“Even in an event that such a document was produced, a million-dollar question is, was it not a foregone conclusion that 13 years was such a long period that a lot had changed on the project site to warrant a fresh environmental assessment?” CDEDI questions.
“Without mincing words, CDEDI refuses to believe that this was an oversight, owing to the fact that Portland presented the same Larfarge EIA report to the Balaka Physical Planning committee.” In view of the alleged irregularities, CDEDI has formally asked the relevant parliamentary committee to institute an investigation into the matter.
“In view of the aforementioned, we pray that your committee should institute an investigation into this matter. To begin with, summon the MEPA DG, Dr. Wilfred Kadewa, the then Mining Authority DG Mr. Samuel Sakhuta, and the then Balaka District Commissioner, Mr. Tamanya Harawa to appear before the said committee to exonerate themselves from acts of negligence in exercising lawful duties,” the letter reads.
Namiwa says the action is part of the organisation’s role as a watchdog and a voice for affected communities, warning that failure to uphold environmental laws not only undermines governance but also exposes vulnerable citizens to long-term social and environmental harm.
