Galamsey, which locally means ‘gather them and sell” has been an age-old way of making a living by people in small communities in Ghana since the 1970’s. However, the practice has gradually metamorphosed into a large-scale timed bomb waiting only to explode.
Illegal small-scale mining popularly referred to as ‘galamsey’, usually involves digging small working pits, tunnels, and drains manually for gold. Unlike commercial mining, people who practice galamsey can only dig limited, shallow and smaller depth. Their operations are usually unregulated with highly detrimental environmental effects and consequences. Illegal mining remains a source of living for many people in rural communities. According to the 10th March 2021 Mining Review Africa publication on the theme “Galamsey in Ghana: A policy impasse? the practice accounts for an estimated 60% of the country’s total mining labour force and supports millions of livelihoods.
Notwithstanding, the practice continues to have a negative impact on the Ghanaian community and the state’s resources. To a large extent, our water bodies have been destroyed, farmlands and forest reserves have been depleted with dire consequences on the immediate environment, food production, water, education, and health among others. The practice was, therefore, criminalized under the amended Minerals and Mining Act, 2015 (Act 900) and the Minerals Commission Act, 1993 (Act 450). According to the law, it is a crime to mine any mineral without concession and appropriate license. Any person liable of this offence in Ghana will be convicted to prison for a minimum of 15 years and maximum of 25 years. Aside the new minimum sentences, convictions may also attract minimum fines of 150,000 penalty units.
Despite the cited law, illegal small-scale mining is still very conspicuous in most parts of the country. Ironically, public outcry and sentiments towards its damaging effects on Ghana’s natural resources kept fading with time until the renaissance and shockingly revealing activities of galamsey kingpin ‘Aisha Huang’ rekindled the attention and discourse in the country. This situation coupled with recent developments have again ignited an uproar and discontent of Ghanaians on the subject matter and has intensified pressure on government and state actors to do the needful.
Government rightly got tougher with the launch of operation halt and very recently operation halt II all through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. Operation Halt remains one of the most aggressive special joint military and forestry taskforce established to stop all illegal mining operations in the country’s forest reserves. In addition to this, some very delicate river bodies and forest reserves were also marked as red zone areas which meant that no mining activity would be allowed in and around those areas. Government also banned activities such as reconnaissance, prospecting and exploration in forest reserves, except in exceptional circumstances.
Operation Halt II was relaunched in October 2022 to further strengthen the fight against illegal mining and prevent its resurgence in the country. This time around, under the new mining regime, granting of mining licenses by the Minerals Commission will now involve the input of our most revered traditional rulers. This single directive by government has come highly commended especially when traditional leaders have continuously drummed home the message that they don’t have any active or direct role in the processes leading to the eradication of galamsey in Ghana. It has indeed become evident that for government to win the fight against galamsey, traditional leaders and for that matter chiefs must play a central role particularly in the granting of mining concessions and licenses. Afterall, every galamsey site falls within the jurisdiction of a traditional authority thus their direct supervision will help rid their respective jurisdictions of illegal small-scale mining. Significantly, the disconnect between chiefs, political leadership and security personnel in the fight against illegal small-scale mining will no longer be an incentive for galamseyers.
Whiles this directive is considered the biggest opportunity, it also presents a big challenge for the National House of Chiefs which is the recognized body under the constitution to connect with the directive and establish the needed protocols to enable traditional leaders live up to the expectation of Government and the entire people of Ghana.
Ghana like most African countries is blessed with arable lands, minerals, cocoa, coffee, shea nut, forestry, timber water bodies, human resources, and the list is endless. For this kind gesture, many have comfortably identified ‘God as a Ghanaian’. Sadly, this advantage has not been able to turn the fortunes of the country. Rather, it has made our people worse off. Clearly, it is not enough to have all the natural resources but more importantly how they are managed. According to available literature, poverty, the lack of employment opportunities in the country and also the urge for the youth to get rich quick and at all cost remains the driving factors of galamsey in most parts of the country.
The onus now lies on our most revered chiefs to change the status quo. But the big question still remains unanswered, can our traditional leaders live up to these expectations?
Source: MOI (PR Unit)
