Malawi's mining sector is experiencing a quieter boom in quarry mining, raising concerns over dust, blasting, respiratory illnesses, and community safety. A mining expert blames the challenges facing the industry on weak legislation, regulation, and overlapping government responsibilities. The Nation on Sunday visited several quarry operations nationwide, revealing activities are expanding faster than regulation, leaving workers and residents exposed to health and safety risks.
The scale of quarry activity is evident in Nathenje, Lilongwe, where over 10 commercial outfits operate within a few kilometers of the city. Malawi's aggregate and mining sectors are bound by robust statutory frameworks, including the Mines and Minerals Act and the Environmental Management Act. However, these laws have struggled to regulate the country's chaotic and expanding quarry sites. Informal operations thrive unchecked, leaving workers without basic personal protective equipment (PPE).
The lack of decisive enforcement by oversight bodies has severe health consequences for miners. Inhaling crystalline silica dust kicked up by blasting and crushing rock causes silicosis, a leading occupational respiratory threat in the industry. Silicosis severely compromises lung function, leaving miners vulnerable to tuberculosis (TB). Immediate, fatal physical hazards, such as pit cave-ins and machinery accidents, remain a daily reality due to non-existent workplace safety oversight.
The regulatory vacuum extends beyond quarry gates, affecting surrounding rural communities. Unmitigated extraction causes environmental and human collateral damage. Operators routinely violate conditions by abandoning deep, open pits without executing mandatory land restoration plans. During the rainy season, these landscapes transform into toxic, stagnant craters that pose severe drowning hazards for local children and livestock.
Uncontrolled, acidic runoff continuously leaches into adjacent streams, contaminating vital communal water sources used for farming and drinking. Women and children involved in manual processing of crushed stone are also affected, entrenching a generational crisis of chronic respiratory illnesses and long-term health hazards across Malawi's rural regions.
Residents in Bwemba and Mtung'amba under Traditional Authority Chadza experience the consequences of quarry mining firsthand. They routinely flee their homes ahead of scheduled blasts, guided by a boy who alerts the community about 30 minutes before detonation. Twice-daily explosions have become part of life, causing cracked walls and worsening respiratory problems due to dust from blasting and crushing.
Energy and mining expert Grain Malunga argues that there is widespread disorder in the mining sector, and the government lacks a clear direction for managing quarry operations. The chaos stems from weak regulation and overlapping responsibilities between the Ministry of Mining and the Ministry of Transport and Public Works. Director of Mining Burnet Msiska dismissed claims of lax oversight, insisting quarry mining is regulated like other mining activities.
Key points
- Weak legislation and regulation contribute to health and safety risks in Malawi's quarry industry.
- Quarry mining activities are expanding faster than regulation, affecting workers and residents.
- Overlapping government responsibilities hinder effective management of quarry operations.
