New Mining Minister Atupele Must Walk the Talk

TALKING THE TALK: ATUPELE FACES  A TASK TO WALK THE WALK 

Malawi President Peter Mutharika has named opposition United Democratic Front leader Atupele Muluzi as Minister of Mining.

Throughout his losing electoral campaign, Muluzi, who came forth in the May 20 presidential polls, was hugely critical of the veil of secrecy that overshadows the emerging industry which contributes 10% to the donor-dependent economy.

In his inaugural state-of-the-nation address, newly elected president Mutharika envisaged the extractives industry contributing 20 percent to the national economy by 2016.

As the country grapples to achieve the said potential, Atupele has been a proponent of an opinion gaining sway that the prevailing secrecy is worsening exclusion and poverty of locals who shoulder the side-effects of increased activity in Malawi.

He promised greater openness and accountability so that the country and its people benefit from the natural resources. Among other things, he backed calls for reforms of laws which require mining firms to deal directly with the central government, leaving custodians of the land surrounding the mines in the cold.

Presently, citizens in Karonga, Northern Malawi, are petitioning hard to ensure that Paladin Africa and Eland Mining Limited start investing in developing the areas where the firms mine uranium and coal, respectively. The communities want the mining companies to establish educational, transport and safe water facilities in the areas where they work.

They also demand decent work rather than working as labourers under expatriate bosses—a glimpse of the skills’ gap the country must feel as it bids to make mining a backbone of the economy.

“I will ensure that all the minerals in Malawi benefit Malawians. No single must benefit from natural resources while the rest of the nation gets poorer. Those in power should make sure mining benefits the people at the grassroot,” said Muluzi during his campaign rally in Rumphi in April.

He also promised to enact the long-awaited Access to Information Bill to ensure transparency and accountability in the sector regulated by the Mines and Minerals Act of 1981 fashioned during the one-party rule of founding president Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda who publicly declared that Malawi has no mines except agriculture.

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Although the Ministry of Mining has engaged a public relations officer to ensure greater ties with other stakeholders, Muluzi’s reign faces a huge task to put in place district mining officers to cut the distance and costs locals in need endure to get answers on grievances.

But the Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice in says reforming the law is the first step towards making mining truly a national agenda—not a gold field for politicians in power.

The organisation’s diocesan desk officer in Karonga, the largest mining district in the country, described the laws as archaic, retrogressive and without Malawians at heart.

Having talked the political talk, the ministerial appointment is a wake-up call for the son of former President Bakili Muluzi to start walking the walk Malawians want.