Malawi the mining boom: implications for community development

In Malawi, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of foreign companies looking to invest in the mining sector. However, in a country where mining sector regulations are woefully inadequate but where the government seems determined to attract overseas investors, it is important to adopt approaches which ensure that the benefits of mining are maximized and that its adverse community-level impacts are minimized. Focusing on the experiences of the Kayerekera Uranium and Chimwadzulu Ruby projects, this paper critically examines how the rapid increase in mining activities in Malawi is affecting local livelihoods. In doing so, the paper explores how civil society has influenced the development of the corporate social responsibility strategies of incoming companies and how well the needs of communities are being met. Given the inadequacies of mining regulations, greater participation from civil society actors and the communities themselves in decisions pertaining to mine development is a key to effective community development in emerging mineral economies such as Malawi.

Address for correspondence: Paul Justice Kamlongera, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 237, Reading RG6 6AR, UK; email:paulk2806@yahoo.com