Two weeks ago, Malawi’s Minister of Mining, John Bande MP, made a statement to the effect that the Ministry of Mining had put a moratorium on the renewal of prospecting and extraction licences.

The decision to suspend the renewal of licences, Bande explained, is to ensure that the application and acquisition process of licences by mining companies can be reviewed and verified by the Ministry, before any further licences are acquired.

However, on Friday, The Daily Times reported that the minister appears to have backtracked on this statement, because Mkango Resources has been able to renew an Exclusive Prospecting Licence to explore for rare earth elements and other substances in Phalombe, Malawi.