Protests against rare earth elements exploration on Mulanje Mountain resurfaces

Fresh protests against exploration of rare earth elements on Mulanje Mountain by a group calling themselves as concerned citizens have resurfaced in Malawi’s southern district of Mulanje.

The group, led by comedian Bon Kalindo, on Tuesday marched to present a petition on the matter to Mulanje District Commissioner, demanding immediate stop of rare earth exploration activities on the mountain.

The group marched  from Chisitu trading center through Chitakele trading centre to the district council’s office where it handed over the petition.

Kalindo, widely known as Winiko in entertainment circles, maintains that Spring Stone Limited, a company exploring rare earth elements and related mining activities on the mountain, is still engaged in environmentally destructive mining activities which he claimed, are detriment of the local communities in the district.

Bon' Winiko' Kalindo: Protest
Bon’ Winiko’ Kalindo: Protest

“The people are against mining activities on the mountain. We have raised a number of issues in the petition and it is our hope that government through the district commissioner will pay attention to our concerns,” said Kalindo Tuesday morning.

This is not the first time for the concerned citizens to be at logger heads with the company. On December 7, 2012, they obtained a court injunction restraining the company from carrying out such activities.

However, the company resumed its mining activities in March this year after the Blantyre High Court discharged the injunction saying the observing that the company was had been carrying out its mining activities in accordance with the terms and conditions of its Licence under a commitment to cause minimum disturbance of the environment at Chambe Basin and surrounding areas.

Spring Stone Limited, a Malawian subsidiary of an exploration joint venture between Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Gold Canyon Resources Inc.

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