Malawians should have shares in mining companies –MP Kazombo
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) lawmaker for Kasungu East, Madaliso Kazombo has criticised mining contracts in the country for lacking transparency, saying its high time locals should have shares in the companies of the foreign investors.
His comments come at a time the country is debating ways of improving the mining sector to ensure it gets better deals from prospective mining investors.
“Why are mining deals done without any transparency? Our sons and daughters of Kayerekera, the people are not benefitting.
“We have the much talked Kanyika. In 2012, people were told to pack because mining was going to take place, but up to now, people in Kanyika in Mzimba are still in shambles. Why are these things happening? Why Malawians are not told the truth about our mining industry? Our friends in Botswana, who have mines, are doing fine,” said Kazombo.
He added: “Malawi has a lot of mines, the Kayerekera is there but Malawians are not benefitting from the resources of our land.”
Kazombo proposed that “Malawians should have shares in these [mining] companies.”
“We do not want foreigners to benefit from our own resources. We are sons and daughters of the land,” said Kazombo.
Recently African Development Bank (AfDB) Resident Representative Andrew Mwaba was quoted in the local press urging Malawi to formulate robust mining policies which would help the country generate enough revenue especially in the wake of withdrawal of budgetary support by donors.
Mwaba said it is inappropriate for mining investors to benefit more than the country they are getting the minerals from.
He said Malawi must “strike deals that are beneficial both for the investors and the people of the country.”
Principal secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mining, Ben Botolo, concurred with Mwaba, saying: “Mining can transform the economy of the country if we can only stay focused.”
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Not should have shares you man!!!
Malawi government must own the mines no plus or minus understood??
It’s good idea but my only concern is that even if that chance arises it will be only politicians & their families. In Malawi it’s only through politics that can make one to be well connected.
Changers, be told that mines airports etc. should also benefit locals in the form of development ie roads, hospitals food schools apart from employment.
Poverty and being neglected is not the industry s fault. This is the fault ofthe greedy MP your vote for. MP s are your voices in parliament. Silence to raise issues in parliament means they don’t care about development since parliament pays them well.
Changers,so u want someone to come and impregnate your a lot more times just bcoz u cant do it urself and u shud then enjoy the pride of having a big family?
You guys amaze me. Why do you want shares? Why should you insist on owning shares and not own it completely? Who is preventing you from putting together your shares? So you still want somebody to lead while you follow blindly. Umbuli ndi ulesi
I wonder the noise on mining companies!! These so called minerals have been lying underground all these years even before these so called foreigners started mining them. Did we benefit from them? I think we are just being jeolousy and we are making an unjustified noise here. Otherwise, do we want to benefit from handouts from these mining companies?? We benefit by employment, taxes and business opportunities, how else can we benefit from them? It is easy to sound wise and caring when in fact Kazombo knows he is saying nothing practical here. Shut the noise, Honourable MP.
Other countries have what they call “Production Sharing Agreements (PSA)” for, say, 10 years which stipulate how revenue and costs will be distributed. Governement doesnt need to put in any capital as the mineral resources are its contribution. At the end of the PSA all interests in the mine including structures, machinery and equipment are transferred to the Government. We need to explore this kind of agreement but alas our politians are so gready such that they put their own interests before the nation. God help us
What this spoiled boy in the name Kazombo is saying is nothing else other than repeating what has been discussed before – “Enriching the rich”. Mining is not cheap and just because the owners of the mining industry will come up with conditionalities in order to have a larger portion of the shares. A good example is when MCP was in power; some American hotel and tourism industry oriented firms came to Malawi and wanted to build massive hotels along the shires of the lake. They fell in love with the scenery head over heals. The problem was that the… Read more »
These are just useless rantings by a DPP functionary. I dont hink they merit any response from either Kazombo, MCP or anyone with a sound mind.
That’s the real son of Africa taking locals at heart.If our parliament can have three quarters of its members with such heart of putting locals first, we are likely to see a transformed Malawi.To achieve this we need to join hands by voting MCP into power come 2019.