The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has formally petitioned Parliament’s Natural Resources and Climate Change Committee to investigate the legality of mining permits granted to Portland Cement Company, a Chinese-owned firm operating in Balaka District. In a letter dated 5 January 2026 and addressed to the Chairperson of the parliamentary committee through the Clerk of Parliament, CDEDI alleges that Portland Cement was granted a mining licence to extract limestone at Chenkumbi Hill in Ng’onga Village, Traditional Authority Nsamala, without conducting its own Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), as required under the Environmental Protection Act of 2017 . According to CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa, the matter came to light during a meeting held on 8 October 2025 at the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) boardroom.
The meeting followed an earlier request by CDEDI under the Access to Information (ATI) Act, seeking disclosure of project documents, including the ESIA report, approval minutes, and project brief relating to the Portland Cement operation . During the meeting, MEPA Director General Wilfred Kadewa reportedly informed CDEDI that Portland Cement relied on a 13-year-old Environmental Impact Assessment originally conducted by Lafarge Cement, which had previously intended to mine at the same site. CDEDI contends that neither MEPA nor the Department of Environmental Affairs produced documentation authorising the transfer or reuse of Lafarge’s EIA report by Portland Cement .
CDEDI further argues that even if such a transfer were legally permissible, the age of the assessment alone renders it invalid. The organisation notes that significant environmental, social, and ecological changes could have occurred over the 13-year period, making a fresh ESIA both necessary and unavoidable under current environmental law . The governance watchdog also raises concerns about the role of the Balaka District Physical Planning Committee, which reportedly granted Portland Cement a two-year building permit during meetings held on 14 and 15 March 2024.
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According to CDEDI, the committee did not question the reliance on an outdated EIA report that was not specifically prepared for Portland Cement’s project, a situation the organisation describes as “not a sheer coincidence” . In its petition, CDEDI is calling on the parliamentary committee to institute a formal inquiry into the matter. Specifically, the organisation wants the committee to summon MEPA Director General Dr.
Wilfred Kadewa, former Minerals and Mining Regulatory Authority Director General Samuel Sakhuta, and former Balaka District Commissioner Tamanya Harawa to explain their roles in the approval process and clear themselves of alleged negligence in the execution of their statutory duties . The matter places renewed focus on environmental governance, regulatory compliance, and transparency in Malawi’s extractive sector, particularly as mining activities continue to expand across the country. Parliament has yet to publicly respond to CDEDI’s request.
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