The government on Tuesday, September 30, suspended all mining licenses in Manica province, in central Mozambique, and created an interministerial commission to review the licensing regime, strengthen oversight, and advance environmental recovery measures, reported Lusa.
“The Council of Ministers decided to immediately suspend all mining licenses in Manica province. The suspension should be applied globally, covering licensed operators as well as those operating irregularly, in order to stop degradation and create an environment conducive to institutional reorganization for sustainable operations,” said government spokesperson Inocêncio Impissa at the end of a council session in Maputo.
The suspension follows concerns over environmental pollution in the province caused by mining activity. On September 17, President Daniel Chapo stated that mining is causing an “environmental disaster” and acknowledged the possibility of a complete suspension of the practice.
The measure comes after the Executive reviewed a report from the operational command of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS), which worked in the province from July 17 to 19 to assess the environmental situation in relation to mining.
The commission observed “uncontrolled mining” by licensed operators, with companies operating without environmental recovery plans or waste containment systems, in addition to violations of workers’ rights. “Risks to national security and sovereignty were also identified, as groups of foreigners engaged in illegal mining were found entering through informal routes and feeding parallel networks of gold trade, extortion, and public insecurity, creating social tension,” Impissa stated.
The government described the environmental situation in Manica as “critical,” pointing to the “severe pollution” of rivers, which now have “reddish, turbid, and opaque waters” resulting from direct ore washing and disposal of mining waste without treatment.
“Pollution affects water supply sources, threatening the survival of thousands of families and the operation of health centers, schools, municipal services, and, consequently, can trigger disease outbreaks,” Impissa warned, also highlighting threats to aquatic life and reduced agricultural production caused by the activity.
In response, the government created an interministerial commission including the Ministries of Defense, Mineral Resources and Energy, Interior, Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Finance, Economy, Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Health, Justice, Labor, Gender, and Social Action.
The commission “is tasked with reviewing the licensing regime, strengthening oversight, defining authorized zones, and creating effective accountability mechanisms, as well as establishing and implementing an environmental recovery plan with active participation from offenders, local authorities, communities, and other relevant entities,” the government spokesperson added. Impissa stated that the suspension of licenses will only be lifted once the “minimum conditions” for resuming activity are established.
Manica provincial governor Francisca Tomás said on September 10 that all mining company activities in the region would be suspended indefinitely to safeguard public health and “reorganize” the riverbeds.
“Above all is human life; public health is at stake, which is why we must temporarily suspend activities,” the governor declared.
In August, authorities announced fines for six more mining companies for pollution, raising to eleven the number of companies penalized for environmental crimes in Manica province.
The President had previously announced in May the suspension of five mining companies’ activities in Manica for environmental crimes and pollution, warning at the time that river pollution hinders agricultural activity and has even caused the death of animals and people in the province.
Source: Diário Económico
