In an inexplicable twist that raises serious questions about transparency and accountability, the Malawi Police and Kangankunde rare earth mine mine mine resources provide totally contradictory accounts regarding the status of two Chinese nationals allegedly captured by the conservation side of the Baraka mine.
So who is telling the truth?
Two Chinese citizens have been arrested and are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, according to Trevor Hiwa, country manager at Lindian Resources. He claims they own geological equipment and are engaged in fraudulent activities. It is probably an attempt to siphon data from one of Africa’s most valuable mining outlooks.
But incredible ways, Gladson Mabnfa Flatout, a spokesman for the Baraka Police Station, denied that the arrest had been made.
“We have not arrested them and are not in custody,” M’Bumpha said. “We took them just to question them… Some community members wanted to attack them on suspicion that they were illegal miners.”
Let’s be clear. You are not just “forking” from Blantyre to Lilongwe, but you accidentally wander into one of the country’s most sensitive mining sites.
Hiwa sounds like a man who knows what’s on the verge of crisis, but says this is the third time the Chinese people have been spinning around Kangande. “We in the industry know what’s going on,” he warns. “They came first in October, then January, and now this.”
He believes this is part of a larger, more ominous pattern. It is a collection of secret intelligence aimed at undermining access to rare earths in the West.
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Lindian Executive Secretary Robert Martin went further in a statement released on April 19, describing the incident as “concerns about serious violations of site security and industrial trespassing.” He said the two were caught collecting geological samples without approval. This is an argument that suggests industrial spy at the highest level.
police? They’re playing it just like it’s another roadside stop.
This raises a troublesome question:
Why are police so bravely contradicting mine operators?
Who benefits from soft pedaling and what are the serious violations of national security and economic sovereignty?
Have we witnessed cover-ups to protect foreign interests?
Don’t forget: Kangankundo is not just mine. It is projected to generate $114 million a year for 40 years, with an estimated lifespan of over 200 years. It is one of the most luxurious rare earth sediments in the world, making it a geopolitical gem rather than radioactive.
Still, at many times, police seem strangely disliked dealing with intrusions with gravity worthy of them.
Is this incompetent or an accomplice?
If the government is serious about protecting Malawi’s strategic assets, it must request an immediate and transparent investigation into the incident. Because it is true that it is rarer now than the minerals of Kangancondo.
