Illegal mining puts lives of Malawi citizens at risk over coronavirus, HIV

Informal gold mining in Kasungu is putting lives of people at risk over coronavirus and HIV/Aids.

Searching for gold in Kasungu
Searching for gold in Kasungu
Searching for gold in Kasungu

According to a citizen journalist Sapulain Chitonde, people scramble for pieces of gold traces in the mud of a river in an area called Gogodi.

He says women and men spend hours away from their homes in search of the gold.

Chitonde says avisit to Matongwe Gold camp which is in the area of Senior Chief Kaomba in the district unveils hundreds of people of all ages and sex digging and processing soils and stones to separate them from what they say is gold.

“The buyers are coming from neighbouring Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and some as far as China.

“Some of these are renting houses in the area and having relationships while others commute to and from Kasungu Central and East where the informal mining is taking place along rivers there,” he says.

He says the developments pose to the community, a threat of spread of Covid-19 and HIV/AIDS as the traders are not observing any social distancing or heeding measures put in place by government.

Officials from the ministry of Natural Resources say they will visit the area.

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The Saint
The Saint
4 years ago

This is what happens when the Country is full of corrupt leaders, people start living in imaginations!

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