Paladin’s Kayelekera management ‘ too corrupt and dishonest’- Malawi youth NGO
Karonga Youth for Justice and Development, a non-governmental organization in Karonga, is calling on Malawi government to closely monitor all activities taking place at the Paladin’s Kayelekera Uranium Mine, arguing that since its inauguration seven years ago, the district and the country has not benefitted from it.
The Kayelekera Uranium Mine, located in Karonga, northern part of Malawi, has proven reserves of 2.8Mt of contained uranium oxide.
Publicity Secretary and Chairperson for the organization, Ngwile Viyuyi and Stevenson Simusokwe said they had planned to hold demonstrations against the mine’s administration in April this year but failed to do so because of the sudden death of Bingu wa Mutharika.
“Our plans never materialized because former president [Bingu wa Mutharika] died in the same month of April. We also wanted to give the current president who had just assumed the office of president time to sort some issues out,” said Viyuyi.
However, Viyuyi indicated that it is rather sad that six months have elapsed and nothing tangible has happened in as far as improving “a very sorry situation” at Kayelekera mine in the district.
“It is very unfortunate. The administration at the mine seems to be too corrupt and dishonest, and this is a great setback in as far as the development of this country is concerned,” he claimed.
Simusokwe , on the other hand, said corruption has become very rampant in most of the operations at the mine which has resultantly led to only a few individuals benefitting from it.
He claimed that there is a lot of nepotism when it comes to issues of job opportunities and award of contracts.
Simusokwe also observed the miner, Paladin (Africa) Limited, has not fulfilled the pledge it made during the inauguration to build a state-of-the-art referral hospital, improve road network in the district including provision of free safe water to the people of Karonga.
