Maputo, Oct. 8, 2025 (Lusa) - A multi-sector commission set up by Mozambique's government will assess the environmental situation in Tete province, in the centre of the country, after acknowledging non-compliance with environmental management plans by mining companies, according to a decision by the cabinet.
This joint commission will verify compliance with the environmental plans of the companies JSPL Mozambique Minerais, ICVL Minas de Benga, Minas de Moatize and Vulcan Mozambique, which are licensed for mining in that province, said the cabinet spokesman, Inocêncio Impissa, after the weekly meeting of that body, which took place on Tuesday in Maputo.
"Despite being environmentally licensed, the environmental management plan has been a major challenge characterised by non-compliance (...). The focus of this team's work is the actual diagnosis on the ground and the proposal of mitigation measures in an activity that will take place within a month," said the spokesman.
According to Mozambique's government, this commission will delve deeper into the contours of environmental deterioration in the province, making a decision on that activity with a view to ensuring better living conditions for the surrounding resident communities.
"There are environmentally approved plans, and they are not being observed. This is a major problem. The commission has to understand what is happening to prevent them from being observed. Some of these have been fined at some point before this government position, but even so, the plans are not being observed," said Impissa.
"The government will have to understand what is making it difficult to comply with these environmental plans that were previously approved for the granting of operating licences. And if it's not working, then we need to understand the circumstances and only then can we take more appropriate measures for each circumstance," insisted the government spokesman.
The Mozambican government decided on 30 September to suspend all mining licences in Manica province and set up an inter-ministerial commission to review the licensing regime, strengthen inspection and move forward with environmental recovery measures.
Environmental pollution has also led to the suspension of mining licences in Manica province this year, located in the centre of the country. On 17 September, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo stated that mining is causing an ‘environmental disaster’ and acknowledged the possibility of suspending the activity altogether.
The suspension of mining licences in Manica follows the government's examination of the report from the operational command of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS), which visited the province between July 17 and 19 to investigate the environmental situation in relation to mining.
On the ground in Manica, ‘uncontrolled mining’ by licensed operators was found, with companies operating without an environmental recovery plan and waste containment systems, as well as violations of workers' rights.
The government classified the environmental situation in Manica as critical, pointing to the ‘serious pollution’ of the rivers, which have ‘reddish, cloudy and opaque waters’ as a result of the direct washing of ores and the dumping of waste from this activity without any treatment.
The inter-ministerial commission set up in Manica will specifically review the licensing regime, strengthen inspection, define authorised zones and create effective accountability mechanisms, as well as establish and implement an environmental recovery plan with the active participation of offenders, local authorities, populations and other relevant entities, according to information provided by the government.
PME/ADB // ADB.
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