A visit to Matongwe Gold camp which is in the area of Senior Chief Kawomba in Kasungu, we saw hundreds of people of all ages and sex digging and processing soils and stones to separate them from gold. Buyers are also on the scene .

The camp has beaten all odds as people from all walks of life are flocking to buy prospect gold which is sold in grams and fractions.

These buyers are coming as far as Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and China and they are seen renting or commuting to and from Kasungu Central and East where small illegal mines are all over along the rivers .

It is a threat to the environment more especially water which will be possibly seen drying in rivers as the miners are always digging along the river and washing the soils directly in the waters which will end up silting.

At the same time this Matongwe Gold camp is posing a threat of Covid 19 and HIV/AIDS as the traders are not observing any social distance or any measure put in place by Ministry of Health.

The central and eastern sides of the district have been exposed to this new business which has finally attracted many people from different areas posing a threat to the area.

Sapulain Chitonde Lee.
Citizen Journalist