Malawian government officials in Zambia to “beg” for maize

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE
A group of senior Malawi Government officials is in the Zambian capital Lusaka to reportedly beg for maize from that government, according to online media reports. 

Quoting unnamed Zambian government sources, the Zambian Watchdog reported that the Malawian officials arrived in that country over the weekend and were accommodated at one of the most expensive Zambian hotels, Pamodzi, where the begging process was being done.

Meanwhile, the popular Zambian online media says President Michael Sata has authorized and directed the sale of more than 50,000 metric tonnes of white maize to Malawi.

However, the online newspaper writes that despite authorising the sale, Zambian government officials and other technocrats vehemently objected to the decision because the country does also not have enough stock for its people.

“Zambian government officials and technocrats objected to the sale because there was not enough maize stock in the country for the Zambian population.

“But what the Zambian government officials did not know is the Mr. Sata had already concluded the deal with Malawian president Joyce Banda.

“When the Zambian government officials refused, the Malawian delegation called their president who also called Mr. Sata to remind him about the deal.

“President Sata then called the Zambian delegation and ordered them to allow the Malawian government to purchase the maize,” writes Zambia Watchdog.

Recently, the Zambian Government through its Food Reserve Agency (FRA) also signed a contract with the Tanzania National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) to supply them 20, 000 metric tonnes of white maize valued at US$7million.

Malawi is currently facing critical shortage of maize, its staple food, which has resulted in escalating prices.
A 50kg bag of maize, which a few months ago was going at about K5000, is now fetching between K10000 and K12000 in urban centres.

Hundreds of hunger-stricken Malawians, particularly women with babies at their backs, have been spending days and nights on queues at state grain marketer, ADMARC selling depots, to purchase the commodity, which has also been rationed to 10kg per individual.

In its position paper on the country’s hunger situation released last week, the Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) called on government to immediately act on the hunger situation in the country.

The network recommended to government to issue a ministerial statement to state the situation of the grain reserves and also outline the gravity of the hunger situation and what it was doing about it.

It also recommended to government to issue instructions to ADMARC to immediately stop rationing maize to only 10kgs and increase the ration to at least 25kgs.

“It is a pity to see that people with meager resources are travelling long distances and even paying more on transport than the food they are buying. This practice is deplorable and should be discouraged. We request government to embark on restocking ADMARC markets that have no maize especially those that are in the rural areas,” said CISANET.

Australian firm acquires more coal mining licenses in Malawi

By LUCKY MKANDAWIRE

An Australian mining and energy company, Intra Energy Corporation (IEC), has acquired further exploration licenses for coal mining in northern Malawi, the firm said Monday.

Already the Australian mining giant holds three other exclusive prospecting licences and one mining licence in the country with its Malawian subsidiary, Malawi Coal Mining (Malcoal).

The three prospecting licences were granted in September 2005 for Mwenewenya which covers an area of 37.5 km2, Livingstonia’s 35 km2 granted in July 2005 and also in June 2007 it was granted a licence for Mwapu which has area of 12.2 km2.

All the licences were renewed on 15th June 2012 by the Joyce Banda administration.

The mining licence for Nkhachira Coal Mine was granted on 30th December 2005 for fifteen years and covers an area of two km2.

Intra Energy Corporation Limited, which also has major thermal coal assets in Tanzania, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Malawian Government for the construction and operation of a coal fired power plant.

IEC Executive Director, Jonathan Warrand said the company was pleased with the acquiring of the two new coal exploration licences in Malawi as it expands its work in Eastern Africa.

The licences were granted to another IEC’s Malawi subsidiary, Intra Energy Trading Limited (IETL) for North Rukuru which covers an area of 318 km2 immediately south of Nkhachira Coal Mine.

The other licence was granted to Malcoal for Ngana situated in Karonga north along the Malawi-Tanzania border and covers an area of 231 km2.

There was no comment from government on the matter as both ministers responsible for mining and energy John Bande and Ibrahim Matola respectively were reportedly away to the United Kingdom with President Joyce Banda on her official tour.

IEC holds a 100 percent interest in IETL and 90 percent in Malcoal with partner Consolidated Mining Limited holding a 10 percent free carried interest.

The company also has all management and operating rights under the joint venture agreement.

And according to Warrand, North Rukuru contains Karoo sediments that overlie Precambrian basement rocks in a series of half-grabens.

“The main coal bearing sediments occur within the Karoo K2-K3 formation and yield sub-bituminous to bituminous coals with a Calorific Value of 5,500 to 6,500 kcals/kg, an Ash content between 18 and 26 percent and a low Sulphur content of 0.3 percent,” explained Warrand.

He said the extent of the Karoo formation in the area is controlled by the gneissic basement in the west and a major fault in the east with regional dips ranging between 10° and 18° to the east.

The executive director also revealed that its recent geological mapping within the lease confirms the presence of numerous coal seams with good quality thermal properties.

Coal at Ngana lease, covering a significant part of the Ngana Coalfield which is a southern extension of the Songwe-Kiwira Coalfield, is hosted within a 12m to 20m thick sedimentary sequence.

The coal there, according to Warrand, is typically sub-bituminous to bituminous with a Calorific Value of 5,500 to 5,950 kcals/kg and an Ash content between 23 and 27 percent.