Communities in Chikwawa, led by Senior Chief Maseya, say they are beginning to regain confidence in environmental safety following progress in recovery efforts by Press Cane after the January effluent spill.
The sentiments were expressed during a community engagement meeting held at the company’s Dyeratu premises, where traditional leaders, group village heads, and other representatives toured operational sites to assess rehabilitation works, improvements to the pond system, and ongoing safety measures.
The visit formed part of efforts to update stakeholders on environmental restoration, operational safety improvements and future development plans following the incident earlier this year.
Senior Chief Maseya said communities were satisfied with what they observed during the tour, noting that significant improvements had been made to address the environmental concerns.
“We are happy, and we have seen for ourselves that most of the issues have been addressed such as the maintenance of ponds,” he said.
He added that the visible progress had helped restore confidence among community members, while also reinforcing the importance of continued monitoring and cooperation.
Maseya further emphasised that ongoing collaboration between stakeholders and surrounding communities remains critical if the gains from recovery efforts are to translate into meaningful local development.
“We appreciate this engagement and hope the good relationship between stakeholders and the communities continues.
If this cooperation continues alongside planned developments, communities will benefit greatly,” he said.
The meeting also highlighted broader plans aimed at strengthening environmental management systems and improving operational safety, with both company officials and community representatives acknowledging the importance of transparency and regular engagement.
One of the community representatives, Lovemore Jambo, described the engagement as productive, saying it provided an opportunity for open dialogue and reassurance on progress made.
“We are happy that today we had an engagement. It was a productive dialogue,” he said.
