People in Gogodi Village in Senior Chief Kaomba in Kasungu,  are illegally mining gold, selling to customers from Tanzania, Nigeria and China.

The situation led the Minister of Natural Resources and Mining, Werani Chilenga,to personally visit the area to sensitise residents on the laws that prohibit illegal mining. “At the moment, most people in the country are not aware of laws that forbid illegal mining. This ignorance has led many people to indulge in illegal mining activities. We visited the site to have a talk with people that are doing the mining and equip them with knowledge on how best they can go about it.” said Chilenga.

Senior Chief Kaomba was present during the sensitisation and called on people in his area to take heed. “In every country there are laws that govern the industry so people have to follow proper channels before starting mining on their own,” Kaomba said.

Last year, Police arrested 15 foreign nationals at Makanjira in Mangochi for mining without license. The suspects were mining in Namizimu Forest, where locals had reported them to the Police, also accusing them of assaulting the locals. The suspects, though not confirmed, are rumored to be from Mozambique, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. “Mining is not only allowed to foreigners as many people put it. The laws allow everyone to do mining as long as they follow proper procedures in getting licences. So let the people follow the right way before starting mining,” Chilenga said.