Poor Malawians who extract and sell sand in Lilongwe have been warned that they risk imprisonment if they continue to do so without council approval.
The Lilongwe City Council has issued a stern warning to all residents and illegal sand miners to stop excavating and loading sand without permission.
“We will start apprehending illegal sand miners and confiscating excavated heaps of sand from 9th July, 2024,” said Dr. MacLoud Kadam’manja, Chief Executive Officer of Lilongwe City Council.
“Anyone found breaching the regulations will face the full arm of the law,” he added.
The council’s move aims to curb illegal sand mining, which has caused environmental degradation and loss of revenue.
