Malawi’s First National Alternative Mining Indaba: Lilongwe, 25-27 November 2014

Malawi will host its first national Alternative Mining Indaba next week in Lilongwe from 25 to 27 November. The theme of the Indaba is “Achieving inclusiveness, accountability and transparency in the mining sector for sustainable development in Malawi”. This event will bring together different stakeholders to discuss areas affecting the Malawi mining industry especially those challenges that impact accountability and transparency.

The draft agenda is available here: Alternative Mining Indaba Malawi 2014 Draft Agenda.

Atupele Muluzi, Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, is expected to open the Indaba. Presentations will be cover the history of mining, the prospects of artisanal and small scale mining, extraction of oil and gas, progress on the Extractive Industries Transparency and Initiative (EITI), and experiences of mining investors and miners in Malawi.

The Indaba has been organized by the Natural Resources Justice Network with funding from Tilitonse Fund, through ActionAid, Norwegian Church Aid, Citzens for Justice and Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy. 

According to the organisers, the objectives of the event are as follows:

• To provide a forum for various stakeholders in Malawi in order for them to share experiences and knowledge on mining governance related issues.
• To understand the perspectives and vision of mining investors in Malawi particularly on the contribution of mining towards economic growth.
• To provide a platform for native people to share and discuss their experiences with key mining stakeholders from Malawi and SADC region regarding inclusiveness and transparency in the sector.
• To enhance awareness about EITI and the status on adoption of EITI in Malawi.

For more information, contact Thokozani Mapemba (Norwegian Church Aid) on 0999 399 557 or William Nyirenda (ActionAid Malawi) on 0995 706 732.