The Malawi government has been asked to immediately stop what has been described as a “senseless attack” on small-scale gold miners and instead engage communities to formalize and support the sector.
Speaking during a press briefing in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Sylvester Namiwa, Executive Director of Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), said the ongoing operation, widely known as “Operation Samala M’godi”, exposes serious policy contradictions within government.
He said while the Reserve Bank of Malawi, through the Export Development Fund (EDF), has been buying gold since 2021, much of the supply is coming from artisanal miners who are now being targeted in the crackdown.
“Simply put, this exercise brings to light a serious question of policy inconsistency, since the government is buying gold through EDF and the same government is priding itself on cracking down on the gold diggers.
“The above manifested itself in the drastic decline of gold purchases by EDF in the face of the unwarranted crackdown, implying that the government is relying on the same so-called illegal miners,” stated Namiwa.
Namiwa further claimed that the Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority (MMRA) suspended the issuance of licences to local artisanal miners in 2023, while allegedly allowing access to foreign nationals, naturalized Malawians, and politically connected individuals.
According to CDEDI, the rise in informal gold mining has provided a crucial economic cushion for over a million Malawians who previously depended on subsistence farming or struggled to find employment.
The organization states that the increased income in mining areas has boosted local trade and improved living conditions, while also helping to address unemployment and food insecurity at the grassroots level.
However, Namiwa criticised authorities for what he described as heavy-handed enforcement, saying communities were not engaged before the crackdown was implemented.
He warned that the approach risks undermining livelihoods and eroding public trust, arguing that state institutions should protect, not confront citizens.
CDEDI has since issued several demands to the government, including an immediate halt to the crackdown and structured engagement with affected communities.
“MMRA should immediately issue gold mining licenses to locals where the gold deposits are not substantial to warrant a foreign investor,” CDEDI demanded. “The government should release unconditionally those arrested, including property and gold confiscated in the course of the exercise, since it is reflecting negatively on this administration.”
CDEDI is also calling for the formalization of artisanal miners into groups to enable access to financing and safer, environmentally friendly mining technologies. It has also urged the government to review and revoke inactive mining licences held for over three years and reallocate them to Malawians.
Further, the organization has also encouraged authorities to learn from neighbouring Mozambique, where it says policies are aimed at empowering local miners, expanding the tax base, and boosting foreign exchange earnings through increased gold sales.
Namiwa warned that unless government addresses these concerns, the current approach could undermine both economic opportunities for citizens and the country’s broader development goals.
