By Suleman Chitera
Government has launched a decisive crackdown on Press Cane Limited following the discovery of serious waste management violations at the company’s ethanol production plant in Chikwawa District, raising alarm over threats to crops, the environment and public health.
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Roza Fachi Mbilizi, on Monday warned that the law will be enforced without hesitation after inspectors found poor handling and disposal of raw effluent at the facility.
Mbilizi made the remarks during a joint visit with Minister of Natural Resources Alfred Gangata, following an inspection by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) and the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA).
“As government, we will use waste management laws. Raw effluent management here is very poor and it is affecting crops, the environment and even people’s health,” said Mbilizi.
She accused Press Cane Limited of ignoring earlier warnings and corrective directives issued by regulators.
“The company failed to address concerns raised by NWRA and MEPA during previous inspections. We are now left with no option but to apply the law,” she said, assuring surrounding communities that government has taken full control of the matter and will ensure it is resolved.
MEPA’s Environment, Information and Education Manager, Aubren Chirwa, confirmed that the company has committed multiple offences under the Environmental Management Act.
“According to the Environmental Management Act, the company is making many violations. Waste is not supposed to end up in people’s homesteads,” Chirwa said.
He disclosed that Press Cane Limited will be fined for some of the breaches, while additional sanctions—including possible suspension or revocation of its operating licence—will be determined after consultations with the Ministry of Natural Resources and NWRA.
“At this stage, it is premature to say whether the licence will be revoked, but enforcement action is unavoidable,” Chirwa added.
In its defence, Press Cane Limited Chief Executive Officer Bryson Mkhomaanthu blamed the incident on heavy rains, saying one of the company’s effluent ponds burst last Tuesday.
“The heavy rains caused a pond to burst, but our team responded quickly to stop the leakage and mitigate the impact,” Mkhomaanthu said, adding that affected houses were cleaned.
However, government officials and regulators maintain that weather conditions do not excuse failure to comply with environmental laws, especially where communities and livelihoods are put at risk.
The incident has reignited debate on corporate accountability and environmental protection in Malawi, with residents in Chikwawa demanding tougher penalties to deter industrial pollution and protect vulnerable communities.
