Paladin’s Walker must go, Kyungu tells Malawi govt
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.
“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.
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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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.
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… Read more »
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.
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.
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.
Cry my beloved Karonga, money for govt politicians is contaminating you so that you should still be called dead north.
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… Read more »
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
ndakupulika apo paramount.
Oho tiyeni nazo zidze pano nzatonse.