MINING – Dalitso Kabambe For President

TRANSFORMING MALAWI’S MINERAL WEALTH INTO A NATIONAL
ECONOMIC ENGINE
Malawi is endowed with a rich array of minerals, including uranium, rare earth elements, rutile, coal, and gemstones. Despite this wealth, the mining sector remains underdeveloped, contributing minimally to the country’s GDP. Key challenges in the sector include:

- A lack of bold, visionary leadership and decisive action has prevented Malawi from unlocking the full potential of its natural wealth for sustainable development.

- Poor governance leading to corruption and lack of transparency.

- Limited exploration and resource quantification to unlock potential.

- Lack of local beneficiation, with most raw materials exported without added value.

- Environmental degradation caused by unregulated mining practices.

- Insufficient community involvement in mining benefits. Aligned with MW2063’s pillars of Economic Resilience, Industrialization, and Environmental Sustainability, and leveraging enablers such as Private Sector Dynamism and Governance, a UTM-led government envisions a mining sector that drives sustainable economic growth, creates jobs, and generates significant revenue for national developmen

5.1 Revitalizing Mining
Alignment with MW2063: Supports Industrialization and Economic Resilience by quantifying resources, fostering value addition, and enabling export diversification.
Target Milestone: Ensure the mining sector contributes at least 30% to Malawi’s GDP by 2030.
UTM Pledges:

- Establishing the Mining Development Corporation (MDC):
  Create a state-owned MDC within the first year to spearhead mineral exploration and beneficiation.

- Accurate Resource Quantification:
  Competent Persons Report (CPR): Invest $10 million annually in partnerships with leading international geological firms to identify untapped mineral deposits and produce an internationally certified CPR.
  – Retain a 49% state stake in all ventures while attracting private and international investments.
  – Develop quarry mining licenses in all districts, prioritizing ownership by local miners linked with anchor investors.

- Mandating Local Value Addition:
  – Require mining companies to invest in smelting and refinery facilities within 2-3 years of extraction for minerals such as rare earth, rutile, and gemstones.

- Operationalizing Key Mining Projects:
  – Fully operationalize projects like Kayerekera Uranium Mine, Kasiya Rutile Mine,and Songwe Rare Earth Mine.
  – Fast-track licenses for delayed or stalled projects.

- Community Investment – Establish multiple quarry mines in each district to stimulate local economies and reduce transportation costs for both government and private infrastructure projects; by facilitating partnerships between artisanal quarry miners and Malawian anchor investors through targeted financing from MAIIC, as well as other investment avenues such as PPPIC, the Stock Exchange,and Diaspora Bonds.

5.2 Community Empowerment and
Local Content
Alignment with MW2063: Advances Inclusive Wealth Creation and Governance by ensuring communities benefit directly from mining
activities.Target Milestone: Ensure 5% of mining profits are reinvested in local community development by 2028.
UTM Pledges:

- Empowering Local Communities:
  – Mandate that mining companies reinvest at least 5% of their profits into local community projects, such as schools, healthcare facilities, and roads.
  – Require companies to employ 70% of their workforce locally and prioritize capacitybuilding programs for Malawians.

- Training and Capacity Building:
  – Establish mining and geological training centers in collaboration with universities.
  – Provide scholarships for Malawians to study mining, geology, and engineering abroad.
  5.3 Environmental Sustainability
  Alignment with MW2063: Supports Environmental Sustainability by implementing eco-friendly mining practices and land rehabilitation.
  Target Milestone: Develop and implement a national environmental rehabilitation fund by 2025.
  UTM Pledges:

- Enforce comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) before mining commences.

- Mandate contributions to a rehabilitation fund to restore mined land and ecosystems.

- Introduce strict regulations to ensure mining practices protect ecosystems and biodiversity

5.4 Transparency and Governance
Alignment with MW2063: Strengthens Governance by promoting accountability and eliminating corruption.
Target Milestone: Achieve full adherence to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) by 2026.
UTM Pledges:

- Enforce open and transparent bidding for mining licenses.

- Publish all contracts and revenues from mining projects on public platforms.

- Join global initiatives like EITI to align with international best practices in governance.

Tsogolo Lathu Lowala Lafika!