Paladin’s Walker must go, Kyungu tells Malawi govt

January 10, 2015 Tiwonge Kumwenda - Nyasa Times 76 Comments

Paramount Chief Kyungu has asked Malawi government  to give country director of Australian-registered Paladin Africa Limited, Greg Walker, removal directions from the country, accusing him of throwing to the dogs laws governing mining in the county to which the company duly signed to respect.

Kyungu speaking during the town hall meeting addressed by Muluzi, saying Walker must go.-Photo by Tiwonge Kumwena, Nyasa Times
Kyungu speaking during the town hall meeting addressed by Muluzi, saying Walker must go.-Photo by Tiwonge Kumwena, Nyasa Times

“If you want the mining to continue [peacefully]  Paladin boss Greg Walker should not be allowed in the country because he is the one imposing stupid decisions,” claimed Kyungu at a town hall meeting  which Minister of Natural Resource Energy and Mines Atupele Muluzi  held with locals on mining issues and Kayelekela uranium project.

Tough-talking Kyungu accused Paladin’s Walker of being “inhumane and arrogant”.

The chief is concerned for the non compliance with environmental and safety standards at the mine.

Kyungu wondered why  Paladin is barring chiefs, the civil society and journalists from entering Kayerekera mine site to see for themselves  “if all is well.”

The Paramount Chief told the minister that government should peacefully remove Walker out of the country or the Karonga people will deport him themselves   – forcefully.

Other issues the locals expressed concern with were the suspending mining operations at Kayelekela in February 2014 without notice and that what Paladin did was illegal.

Paladin Africa boss Greg Walker: Under Kyungu's fire
Paladin Africa boss Greg Walker: Under Kyungu’s fire

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), one of the organisations calling for justice from Kayelekela mining, called on government to punish Paladin for their actions.

Speaking during the Karonga meeting  which Muluzi addressed, Pastor Frank Phiri presenting religious leaders advised the minister that government should hear people’s concerns over the mine and act on them.

Paladin on Wednesday confirmed the leakage of one of its dam due to the heavy rainfall. However, groups are alleging that Paladin deliberately broke their dam as part of draining the waste.

Muluzi visited some of the mining companies in the district such as Nkhachila coal mine which is under Malcoal Company and Kayelekera uranium mine Company.

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76 replies on “Paladin’s Walker must go, Kyungu tells Malawi govt”

  1. Bravo chief go where others dont want to go. Are we too afraid of whites. Chief for da president. Show them how it is done chief.Any leader must fight for his people. U r doing well chief.

  2. Im a CHEWA and hv lived with Ngondes in Bwiba for ten years.I know Ngondes are very brave people and hv the courage to tell somebody point blank kaya pa Maliro kaya pati.So this msamunda would not shake them.They have more respect for their Ntemi Kyungu than the Greg Walker thing.Any spills from Uranium if left unattended would lead to another Chernobyl disaster in Malawi.Nditimakobili timene mumati mudya ta Uranium nonse mukathera ma cancer mutizipatala tanu tosadziwika pamalawi.I support the chief even though i don’t come from Karonga.Bravo Kyungu for calling a spade by its name.Days of master – servant are over.

  3. This Aussy Greg Walker is just about economical gains not the welfare of poor karongians.The chief was right to tell him blank point.What has Kaliyekera benefitted Malawians after all?Waifing for govt officials would not solve problems at all.The govt is full of crooked people who are just money hungry.They r not patriotic about their country.They r just there to fill their bellies.This outdated mining laws would not benefit Malawians as than leaving trails of radiation behind leaving Malawians with health problems.If he doesn’t want to listen he should be shown an exit door.We are not aborigines.We know our rights.

  4. Oh yeeh, I concur with you SC. These guys incliding a god damn Engineering manager,Andres Hoffman and Enviromental manager,The one who engineered the whole motive of unscrewing the tank from the bottom and not considering enviromental effects thereafter respectively must be deported or resign and leave Malawi Okongola.

  5. Oh yeeh, I concur with you SC. These guys incliding a god damn Engineering manager,Andres Hoffman and Enviromental manager must be deported or resign and leave Malawi Okongola.

  7. I am not from the north and I personally don’t see anything wrong with the chief fighting for his people’s welfare where the government has proved to be be useless. To all those of you who are busy saying there are people designated for that, where are those people? Don’t you think they have been bought already and so long as they are doing so they will not bite the hand that feeds them? In this day and age it is shocking to see that even with issues of national concern such as this one some people will chose to pull the tribal card and not focus on the real issue and that my friends is why I say we Malawians are plain stupid, tulo too much. kudana ndi munthu okuti atithandize ati coz he’s from the north, where is the sense in that? Where the governement is turning a blind eye we need a pressure group kumene. Uranian is a threat to all of us and we should brace ourselves for the consequences if we chose to be ndwiiiiii about it! wake up!

  8. Read today’s government press release in the Malawi News or are all the government Scientiists liars as well. Wake up brothers and sisters of Malawi

  12. Well done chief this company is useless it is importing accountats,mechanics cooks,and etc while we have qualified malawians here yes somebody has eaten sikoni from these men next karonga will burst into fire if APM is silent

  13. Primarily, Paladin is responsible for any Radiactive spills because of its gross negligence and reckless conduct which is a huge health threat to the public and environmental associates.
    ~would think Cost-cutting decisions have caused this marine and environmental catastrophic. One could only believe Insufficient Safety System in place. Absent significant reform from both Paladin Investors and Government policies. A very big blind eye!
    ~Even low-level radiation exposure if prolonged can lead to an increased rate of Cancers. This is seriously healthy threats to the general public and environment. As a result, criminal offenses based on the consequences from lethal uranium radiation need immediate International Institutionalised Investigations
    ~ Paladin is responsible to this pollution environment consequences
    ~Paladin is guilty of lying to the indigenous Karonga people and all citizenry.
    ~ Government need to engage qualified scientists and professionals whom have been Tested and Tried to carry out investigations to an international standards.
    *US Environmental Protection Agency
    *WaterLab Ltd
    *International Atomic Energy Agency
    However, I’m not sure with our constitution if Clean Water Act bill exists. If it was in the western world legal proceedings would follow with heft compensation of billions of dollars or pound sterling. Mwabanthu vinkhonono ghaye. God bless Malawi.

  14. It is stupid to think that Kyungu should not speak on this matter because he is not a Scientist or an expert in mining. He is a leader and thus his role. In this matter, no scientist is needed BUT a bold advocate.

  15. Walker should go. Kyungu i like such talk. It is ur land. You do what is important. Zoopa zinatha. Omwe mukuti atumbuka nyonyonyo, stop. Anzanu ali muma Estate kuno ku Mugodi wa Fodya. Wopusa nda?

  16. Is Kyungu hard of all chiefs in Malawi? Does he have solutions for all difficult questions in Malawi? I guess his constituency is too small, he should leave it to someone as he presides on national issues. But i fear his millitant approach might put Malawi on fire. I think Malawi should abolish chieftaincy in the spirit of decentralisation as we suddenly begin to be ruled by people who are not chosen but annointed from their lineage. Are we doing better than Tanzania which scraped the chieftaincy? People can continue to be senior in their family lines etc, etc

  17. Im glad and ashamed how Malawians can be known where (which region) they come from by their comments on issues affecting their fellow Malawians.Regionalism to end still remains a dream.

  19. sounds like the chief wants to be the paladin chief, i think he protests to much. something smells fishy, maybe Mr walker is not paying and thats the problem

    1. CHIMWEMWE YO COMENT IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.LET PPLE WHO CAN HELP LIFT MALAWI MAKE CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS.LHM

  21. Since when did Chiefs have power to deport foreign investors. Such careless talk can be a recipe for anarchy.

  22. Kyungu is everywhere. He met with Vuwa a couple of months ago. He was in Lilongwe a few days ago and he is now in Karonga of course. It seems he is a good politician. I hope you don’t end up like your colleague from Kasungu (I have forgotten his name because he is no longer on radio/ TV these days).
    Chasing people is not a solution BUT putting systems in place that would allow greater transparency.

  23. Abwenubwenu, ndinu obvuta bwanji, for some reasons you are never happy with life. Batokotani choncho, munya ndi radiation simunati, muchita kuda kuposa pano.

  24. Hey guys retrieve all the initio culprits of all this Saga.we’ve had ministers of of eniegy and mining when it was starting .kodi asanajhazikitse malamulo make anali anti.pena kwakukulu tikangova kuti employment rate ikwera kamba azizatilemba ncito???!!?!????? Vu to Lima ndi loti alipo anthu ophuzila oiyenera ncitoyi odziwa science pokitic ndi ikonomy ya field iymeneyi. Koma mipando kumangpstsa uyu was kumudzi an kolo. Niece nephew anti.people who r judt there physically but not wit intellect.
    Atupele yes he was sleeping koma ndi Ku nmcila. Mitu yenniyeni yabisala. joji mnkodwa Ali psti nikeesa final I naye Ku mining! What did he do than enriching himself.the s o called educated not intellect in the mining and energy sources
    A mW azanga zinanena saulos dzana paja nfagwilizana Nazi. A MW tikuyanganadi we need 18 PS s for 18 /ministries basi osati thakadzo mstoe yasi zucitikaiits 6 much

  25. Thats what a real Northerner does, not enawa tulo phwiiiii…even ka Muluzi kakangono nakonso kali gone kudya nawo ndrama zakuba akazi a nyani Mathanyula…….if Kyungu was to rule Malawi am sure he wiuld do it with bolls not azimayi anuwa

  26. what is this stupid kyungu saying? Does he have powers to order deportations of expatriates in Malawi shut up. Stupid chief you don’t have jurisdiction over everything ask your fellow stupid chiefs from Karonga when Paladin was settling Camp where were they? Were they not the ones who were against some NGOs who were against opening of the mine. ngati akumanani mabusiness mungonena akugayileni tenda muzikapelekeka nyama olo nsomba fokofu

  27. Mtemi Kyungu, this is what we in the North expect of you. Move with your people at all times. Now, rise again and support Federalism.

  28. Imisyuka gikalele gwe Malafyale gwangu! Ngonde people rise up and make all efforts to stabalise IMISYUKA which are in despair at Mbande.

  29. I love this. Wawa Kyungu. Akuti if you don’t remove him we will remove him ourselves. Proud of you my malawian people right now. Osati zitsiru zija zomwe zikumachindidwa kumatako ndi azungu. Throwing away their African pride.

  30. Fooling BAZUNGU shud go. . .wi aint benefitng anythng from them,they are only taking our pride away. .bravo my king Kyungu

  31. THIS GREG WALKER IS RACIST.IN 2013 THERE IS REPORT THAT A MR MKONDA WHO WAS ADMITED AT MWAIWATHU HOSPITAL AFTER RADIATION RELATED CANCERS;HAD HIS HOSPITAL PAYMENT OF BILLS STOPPED AND SACKED HIM WHILE IN HOSPITAL.THE SICKMAN’S RELATIVES HAD TO MOVE THE PATIENT TO GOVT HOSPITAL. COULD PALADIN HAVE DONE THE SAME IF THE PATIENT WAS FROM AUSTRALIA?PLS HUMAN RIGHTS HELP CONNER THIS COMPANY ON BEHALF OF THIS FAMILY TO BE COMPENSATED B4 ITS TOO LATE.HAPPY LHM

  33. BRAVO TO THE PEOPLE OF KARONGA.FACT IS THE VILLAGERS HAVE FOUND MINISTER-ATUPELE MULUZI SLEEPING AND SNORING ON THE JOB.THE VILLAGERS R SPOONFEEDING THE MINISTER.WAKE UP PLS BAD EXAMPLE OF MALAWIAN MINISTERS-ONLY PROUD OF TITLE.BRAVO CHIEF KYUNGU BE BLESSED MAN.

  34. Chief Kyungu, what we are saying is, radiation materials are harmful to life.
    1.What we Malawians want is Paladin should do clean up at Kayerekera mining site and the surruonding the area, Under the supervision of IAEA , if all is well, Paladin should pack and go.

    Sere river I understand goes into lake Malawi direct or indirectly, therefore it means all Malawians are at risk of catching cancer related diseases due to radiation.

    2.Paladin should be held responsible to anything that will happen to Malawians on short and long term.

    3.Before they pack and go let government take their contacts and physical addresses, sign with them , chifukwatu these Paladin guys are taking Malawians for granted.

  38. Fumu kungu balalabalala make up yo mind’ mmene ankabwera paladin were there policies and procedures ,health and safety measures ,environmental measures, zinali in black and white I mean on paper????? A mW tikangoona mzungu basitu mmaso ngwee tili azungu atipasa ndalama aloleni ayambe kukumba mine, koma NDE aids yalowa poverty alleviation ma locals kumangobwila dust BEAM kubadwa kuyamba kusolola dzuwa lili phwe .mayooooo one dziko Lima tikuigulitsa cifukwa can dyera
    Dzana paja somba zikungofa we blamed Tanzania. Kamba tinkakanganila madzi op:-) atsidwa ndi mulungu.
    Kodi Mganda Ali kuti wangoti zii pena make uja anamubereka Ali naye Ku Ameleka komwe akudzibisako.munthu was zeru sangapange za cimidzi zimenezi. Self exiled. Koma MW leaders are confusing is Ctizens

  39. WE LOVE YOU OUR KING IN KARONGA. YOU ARE PART OF GOVERNMENT AND TALKING TO GOVERNMENT LIKE THAT IS QUITE RECOMENDABLE.YOU SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLE, THERE IS NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LISTERN TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE SYAING. UYU GREG , IS REALLY NOTORIOUS, I REMEBER ONE DAY HE WAS WITH DEC AND THE SENTMENTS HE WAS SAYING WAS FURISH. IT WAS AS IF WE ARE STILL UNDER AZUNGU. THEY ARE JUST INVESTORS NOT THE OWNER OF THE COUNTRY.

  40. If the President is seen weak brave Kings like Kyungu will start to rule their portions of land.What else bcz it will affect his ppl of that particular place.The gvt is quite bcz officials are benefiting illegaly from those mines,so pull up Kyungu your doing that for the benefit of your ppl.

  41. Kyungu leave this to the Government. It brings a very negative impact at the end. We need to learn from the past to what happened when we just had to deport foreigners any how. Let Walker be removed in a proper way and he alone is not Paladin.

  44. That is Paramount Chief Kyungu. That is what I expect from him. Paradin have done more evil than good. See our fish is just dying in the Lake. Next it will be the people of Mangochi, Chinkhwawa, Nsanje who depend on this water for drinking start suffering from unknown diseases that is when Malawi government will work up. Dzuka Malawi now. Deport him now and send the right message. Their interest is uranium and not health of Malawi.

  48. He is behaving as a king this trained communist chief . This is not Russia please , you are over stretching powers , you need to have some limits.
    Malawians are thinking of abolishing traditional chieftenancy just like Tanzania did , in a short time we will demonstrate that we don’t Chiefs in Malawi because they are becoming big headed in any government of the day.

  49. I feel the chief is simply speaking out for his people. Mining my brothers and sister comes at a cost. Lives matter most. Safety is the number one priority.

  50. Some comments from non patriotic Malawians are exasperating or maybe they are not real Malawians because this should concern every Malawian from Nsanje to Chitipa but unfortunately other people from mocambinque do not care if things go wrong in our country all they care is looking at who is talking and where does he come from hence stupid questions such as “who is Kyungu?”

  53. Anthu a ku Karonga mukuchedwa takamukhapeni ndi zikwanje,,,,,Walker nso ndi ndani???By close of business today mundipase report loti mwamusamusa.Ndalamula ndalamula,zabwino zonse tiwonana madzulo

  54. What does this Kyungu know about international mining regulations and standards. He is a chief with an education of form 2. Leave mining to the professionals and if required have international safety assessments / audits done on the mine. These are probably already being done and available. From these assessments you will see if there is any problem which the mine management must rectify. If the mine has fired people for wrongful acts or theft etc. then that is their rules and you can’t simply say the boss of the mine needs to leave the country because he is sticking to the rules.

  55. those who have spoken to greg walker will agree that he is indeed arrogant. ask bishop martin mtumbuka or northern region water board

  56. Tiwonge Kumwenda, its spelt inhumane not inhuman, ok young woman? But I for one believe the way this firm was granted a mining contract was wrong in the first place. We have had more concerns aired out against this mining deal from the word go than any positives at all to this day. What does that tell?

  57. Kyungu is a disgrace and just an opportunist. He led chiefs to persuade the government to fire the judiciary workers a thing that is beyond his jurisdiction. We all know that the judiciary workers got it wrong and the attorney general had already advised government that the strike was illegal but Kyungu and other mad chiefs wanted to show us that they have the power too. We have scientists who can advise the government on mining issues but Kyungu once again is acting in a crazy way. We don’t want such chiefs in Malawi. All they want are favours from the government. It’s money that these chiefs want.

    1. Iwe mpumulo wa bata the issue here is not about the corrupt judicial but is about the educated Kyungu who knows the dangers of uranium.Japan had problems to contain the spills of uranium a few yrs ago so what about a poor country like Malawi.The Kyungu is right to take safety measures for his people.Kagwereni uko nditima judicial strike tanu topanda nato mututo.Leave the Kyungu alone.

  58. Akyungu akawapasa chiseka pakamwa posachedwa pompa simuwamvanso kulankhula. Kodi azangu akutidelerabe ndiikutipangila mwano mpakanalero. Paladin imange bac nddalamula ndine ndi mfumu yanga kyungu.

  59. Forget about the President, where are the technical people from Environmental Affairs. What is their take here?

  61. Kyungu is right. Ur comments knows u are empty heads. Uranium is a most dangerous chemical world wide and how can they discharge water without treating it and kept on lying that they are not doing that

  62. this so called king, is doing all this because the so called president is so weak and stupid and so is Atupele Muluzi

  63. what is wrong with this stupid so called king, he has never been to school. what does he know about mining? why can’t he just shut his stupid mouth.

    1. Mr Wilfred or whoever u call urself Kyungu is not as illiterate as your chiefs from Goliati he is a amongst the most educated chiefs in Malawi am very sure even your dad can’t surpass him. U must ask if you are not familiar with anything b4 commenting blindly

  64. Asakuputsitseni uyu (kyungu) amalawi. Angokumphimbani mmaso uku akudya nawo za paladin.
    Ndi yemwe uja analandira chi banzi kukapanga ka demo ka DPP against anthu apa strike.
    Ndi mkuntha kuwiri. Mbuzi mfumu yauchindere iyi.

  65. Asakuputsitseni uyu (kyungu) amalawi. Angokumoimbani mmaso uku akudya nawo za paladin.
    Ndi yemwe uja analandira chi banzi kukapanga ka demo ka DPP against anthu apa strike.
    Ndi mkuntha kuwiri. Mbuzi mfumu yauchindere iyi.

  66. I we comment yako yopusa kwabasi anthu akuda anakhala bwanji president akhale olalata ngati jb ayi walakwitsa akhale wa mpheeee asiyo munthu ndi galudi were ndipo APA zikuwonetseratu

  67. Now Mtemi waba Temi you are now suddenly waking up to the fact that you have problems at home !
    Stupid demonstrations nin Lilongwe against other peoples’ rights was not a very good idea.If you depot Greg Walker , Paladin will not replace him,and that is what they want. You will be on your own.
    He should be “tarred and feathered “

  69. Who is kyungu? Some T/A frm ka, ooooh i thought he is apresident of the republic of malawi. Malawi walero

  70. King Kyungu of Karonga at it again. Malawi slowly becoming a monarchy as the driver of the ship is dozing.

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