Kamchocho Village in Lupachi, under Traditional Authority Mabilabo in Mzimba, has rapidly attracted thousands of people searching for gold. What began as rumors of easy money has transformed the once-quiet area into a busy and overcrowded mining site.
Officials say more than 4,000 people have arrived from various parts of Malawi. Many have erected temporary shelters and small stalls, while gold mining activities continue around the clock.
Mzimba’s Principal District Environmental Officer, James Pelani, described the situation as worrying.
“During our visit, we found a large number of people mining for gold without any official authorisation,” Said Pelani.
He explained that the unplanned mining activities are already causing significant environmental damage.
“People are digging indiscriminately, removing sand and soil. The area now resembles an informal mining camp, and the land is being severely degraded,” he said.
Environmental experts warn that the uncontrolled digging has left deep, open pits, stripped vegetation, and destabilised the ground, creating unsafe conditions.
These developments not only threaten the environment but also place miners at serious risk of accidents.
“The mining is unregulated. We are seeing hazardous pits, loss of vegetation cover, and unstable soil. This poses risks to both the environment and the people involved,” Pelani added.
Mining authorities have declared the activities illegal. Joseph Chirwa, Regional Mining Engineer for the North in the Department of Mines, confirmed that no mining licences have been issued for operations at Kamchocho.
“There is no licensed miner at that site. All mining activities taking place there are illegal,” Chirwa said.
He reminded the public that anyone intending to mine gold must first obtain a Small-Scale Mining Licence.
Despite the warnings, more people continue to flock to the area. Reports circulating among miners suggest that gold prices at the site are exceptionally high, with some claiming that a gram of gold is selling for as much as K500,000.
This belief is reportedly drawing even more gold seekers to Kamchocho.
