This
site is designed for Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator versions
4 and above and a screen resolution of at least 800x600
|
|
|
Light at end of mining tunnel
By
Ephraim Munthali - 22-01-2003 |
|
|
Mining explorations in about four areas in the country indicate that there is a possibility of the presence of heavy mineral sands in the areas, particularly around Lake Chirwa, Malawi Minerals Project Director Mike Molse has disclosed.
Molse said Makanjira, Liwonde and Senga Valley are some of the promising sites for the heavy sands—mainly used for ceramic and glass industries—but warned against positive expectations because “investigations are still in their early stages.”
“We started exploring a number of potential mineral commodities that Malawi has and after trying coal, bauxite, phosphate and cobalt, we decided that the most promising mineral is heavy mineral sands,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
He said this year, the company may open a small operation for Zercln—another mineral for ceramic industries—for a start as the company continues with its investigations in the next two years.
“We hope that within the period [two years] we will be in a position to develop a mine at one of the areas. However, we do not want to give people false hopes because investigations are still in their early stages,” said Molse.
He said miners are funding all explorations and development costs but said when they get to a point where they want to build mines, the company will turn to financiers.
Molse, however, warned that the viability of any mining interests in the country heavily depended on transportation for the relatively low value minerals from Malawi to Nacala.
“The transport charges for export products from Malawi to Nacala are very high. This is one of the major problems investors in Malawi are facing. Malawi has a number of things it could export but it can’t compete with other countries in that respect because of transport costs,” he said.
Molse said his firm and other concerned groups are currently negotiating with Central East African Railways (Cear) to allow minerals from the country transported at reduced costs.
Malawi Minerals, owners of Millennium Mining and Syenite Resources presently handling the project, is part of Arigrn Holding and Resource, a drilling company in Lilongwe. The group has been in the country’s mining industry since 2000.
Two other international mining firms—Albididon from Australia and Agricola from United Kingdom—are also exploring gold and base metals in Balaka and Mwanza districts.
History has it that between 1930 and 1970, gold was mined in the country and that a number of research findings including the De Beers report of 1961 have concluded that the country has chances of discovering diamond.
Of late, government has doubled mineral explorations through licence grants to both local and international mining firms.
As a result, the mineral sector has experienced a rapid growth with an 85 percent up thrust in 2001 alone, indicating growth potential for the sector.
In 2001, the sector contributed 1.5 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—the total value of goods and services produced in a country—from one percent in 2001 with a contribution target of three percent by the end of 2005.
Malawi’s GDP is estimated at K144 billion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
