MP Gotani-Hara challenges govt over limited community benefit from mining sites

Malawi’s minister of mining, Thoko Tembo, has told parliament that corporate social responsibility obligations for mining companies are now legally binding rather than voluntary, under the Mines and Minerals Act of 2023.

Tembo was responding to a supplementary question from Catherine Gotani Hara, the MP for Mzimba North East, who pressed the government on why communities hosting mining operations continue to see limited benefit from extractive activity in their areas.

Gotani Hara said some mining sites had been operational for more than 17 years with little discernible impact on surrounding communities, citing persistent difficulties accessing Community Development Agreements, unrepaired roads and delayed compensation payments to villagers whose homes had been damaged.

Tembo said the Malawi Mining and Regulatory Authority (MMRA) holds statutory power to monitor compliance and can suspend the licences of companies that fail to meet their obligations.

He said Section 146 of the Act requires mining companies to submit corporate social responsibility plans and to sign legally enforceable community agreements as a condition of operation.

“Mining companies are required to spend 0.45 per cent of their gross revenue on community development projects agreed with local communities,” Tembo told parliament.

The exchange underscores a broader tension in Malawi’s mining sector, where legislative reform has strengthened the formal obligations placed on operators, but implementation and enforcement — particularly around compensation timelines and community access to negotiated agreements — remain contested on the ground.

Whether the MMRA’s suspension powers translate into meaningful leverage over long-established operators, as opposed to newer entrants seeking licences, is likely to shape how effectively the 2023 reforms are felt in mining communities going forward.