BY FAITH KAMTAMBE:
The Malawi Parliamentary Conservation Caucus has expressed concern over delays by the government to table the Mines and Minerals Bill, with more than three years after consultations on the same were concluded.
The 1981 Mines and Minerals Act is still being used to regulate mining in the country despite concerns that Malawi is losing a lot in natural resources due to the outdated legislation.
Chairperson of the caucus, Welani Chilenga, said the bill has to be tabled in Parliament in the current meeting.
Chilenga expressed optimism that although the current meeting ends on Friday, the bill can still be tabled.
“It is our concern as a caucus but we have been informed that the bill is at Cabinet level. We hope that they will approve it so that it can still come to Parliament within this meeting. There is still time before the current meeting ends,” he said.
The proposed bill aims at regulating the development of the country’s mineral resources through adherence to sustainable development principles.
It also states that the entire property in minerals, in, under or upon any land or waters in Malawi, are vested in the Republic, but without prejudice to the exercise of any right under or pursuant to the Act.
Stakeholders have been arguing that the country is losing natural resources and that people living in mineral-rich areas are being subjected to human rights violations due to the outdated Act.
Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining once told the media that it had completed all consultative processes such as soliciting views from various stakeholders. The ministry also said it had compiled the final draft of the bill which was submitted to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in August 2015.
Leave a Reply