Pointing to numbers of licences issued between 2017 and 2025 as a sign that galamsey was officially sanctioned in that era is a lazy way of analyzing the recent history of mining.
The 2,150+ licences agreed in that period ... read full comment
Pointing to numbers of licences issued between 2017 and 2025 as a sign that galamsey was officially sanctioned in that era is a lazy way of analyzing the recent history of mining.
The 2,150+ licences agreed in that period are a sign of mining activity stepping up.......but also a sign of many small-scale miners who were previously working illegally moving to regularize their activities and mine responsibly.
The problem of galamsey in Ghana is a problem of a) poverty, b) rampant corruption and greed throughout society, c) very poor enforcement of the law and d) an inconsistent policy approach.
If you have one government launch a drive to clamp down on galamsey using a two-pronged strategy (engage the Armed Forces to destroy equipment used by illegal miners and shut down galamsey sites, plus direct the youth in areas at high risk of galamsey towards "new" sources of viable employment) followed by another government that launches a multi-pronged incoherent strategy (stop burning seized equipment/start burning siezed equipment, take the soldiers out/put the soldiers in, launch the Blue Water Guards/don't equip them or protect them beyond the first few weeks, tell galamsey miners that they will be allowed to work freely when you take power/change your mind afterwards, declare war on galamsey/turn a blind eye to galamsey if it's done by your party people, launch anti-galamsey task forces/scrap anti-galamsey task forces) what you get, in the end, is a MESS.
It is up to Ghanaians to decide whether they like the destruction and dirty money that comes with galamsey or not. We must decide. And then when we've made our decision we have to hold our leaders' feet to the fire.
Pointing to numbers of licences issued between 2017 and 2025 as a sign that galamsey was officially sanctioned in that era is a lazy way of analyzing the recent history of mining.
The 2,150+ licences agreed in that period ...
read full comment