Government Orders Press Cane to Compensate Communities Over Waste Crisis in Chikwawa
Published on January 29, 2026 at 10:44 AM by Evance Kapito
Government has ordered Press Cane Limited to compensate all people affected by a waste management crisis linked to the company’s ethanol production facility in Chikwawa District.
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Roza Fachi Mbilizi, issued the directive after leading a government delegation to engage the company’s management over concerns surrounding the discharge of raw effluent into surrounding communities.
Mbilizi warned that government will strictly enforce waste management laws, saying inspections revealed serious lapses in effluent handling at the facility.
“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.
The minister made the remarks during a joint visit with Minister of Natural Resources Alfred Gangata, following an inspection conducted by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) and the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA).
She said Press Cane failed to act on issues previously raised by regulators, forcing government to intervene directly.
“Press Cane Limited did not address concerns raised by NWRA and MEPA after earlier inspections. We will now apply the law to ensure the matter is fully resolved,” Mbilizi added.
MEPA’s Environment, Information and Education Manager Aubren Chirwa confirmed that the company committed multiple violations under the Environmental Management Act.
“Waste is not supposed to end up in people’s homesteads. The company has made several violations,” Chirwa said.
He indicated that Press Cane will face fines for some of the offences, while other sanctions will be determined following consultations with the Ministry of Natural Resources and NWRA. He said it is still premature to state whether the company’s operating licence will be revoked.
Resident’s house built in 2022 house; iron sheets corrosion
Sylvester Namaiwa in black golf-shirt when he visited the area earlier this year
Dumping site on Press cane
House built last year (2025) Iron sheets turns to corrosion..
Responding to the allegations, Press Cane Limited Chief Executive Officer Bryson Mkhomaanthu acknowledged the incident, attributing it to heavy rains that caused one of the company’s effluent ponds to burst.
“Heavy rains last Tuesday caused one of our ponds to burst, but our team acted quickly to stop the leakage and mitigate the effects. We also cleaned up houses that were affected,” Mkhomaanthu said.
He further assured that the company is ready to compensate all affected communities.
Press Cane Limited is a subsidiary of Press Corporation Limited, one of Malawi’s largest conglomerates.
