The mining director, Samuel Sakhuta, told traditional leaders in Karonga and Chitipa that they need to team up with his ministry to crack down on illegal mining operations that are trashing the land and endangering local communities. He showed up at a meeting with chiefs and district officials to push the partnership angle, saying enforcement from the top down never works without getting local leaders on board first.
Sakhuta laid out the game plan of educating community heads about mining laws before going after violators, and he specifically called out Malawian small-scale miners who are quietly slipping their licenses to foreign operators even though that transfer violates the rules. Paramount Chief Kyungu backed the concerns but said the ministry should set up district-level offices instead of running everything from the capital, arguing that centralized oversight is moving way too slowly to stop the illegal activity spreading across the region.
Sakhuta laid out the game plan of educating community heads about mining laws before going after violators, and he specifically called out Malawian small-scale miners who are quietly slipping their licenses to foreign operators even though that transfer violates the rules. Paramount Chief Kyungu backed the concerns but said the ministry should set up district-level offices instead of running everything from the capital, arguing that centralized oversight is moving way too slowly to stop the illegal activity spreading across the region.
