Malawi: Who’s Lying? Police and Trevor Hiwa Clash Over Chinese ‘Intruders’ At Kangankunde Mine in Balaka

In a baffling twist that raises serious questions about transparency and accountability, the Malawi Police Service and Kangankunde Rare Earths miner Lindian Resources are offering completely contradictory accounts regarding the status of two Chinese nationals allegedly caught on the protected side of the mine in Balaka.

So, who’s telling the truth?

According to Trevor Hiwa, Lindian Resources’ country manager, the two Chinese nationals were arrested and are expected to appear in court on Tuesday. He claims they were in possession of geological equipment and were engaged in unauthorised activities–possibly an attempt to siphon off data from one of Africa’s most valuable mining prospects.

But in a stunning about-face, Balaka Police Station spokesperson Gladson M’bumpha flat-out denied that any arrests were made.

“We have not arrested them and we do not have them in custody,” said M’bumpha. “We only took them for questioning… some community members wanted to attack them on suspicion that they are illegal miners.”

Let’s be clear: you don’t just “branch off” from Blantyre to Lilongwe and accidentally wander into one of the most sensitive mining sites in the country.

Hiwa, sounding every bit like a man who knows what’s at stake, says this is the third time Chinese nationals have been caught snooping around Kangankunde. “Those of us in the industry know what is going on,” he warns. “First they came in October, then January, and now this.”

He believes this is part of a larger, more sinister pattern: covert intelligence gathering aimed at undermining the West’s access to rare earths–strategic minerals that power everything from smartphones to fighter jets.

Lindian’s executive chairman Robert Martin went further in a statement released on April 19, describing the incident as a “serious breach of site security and a concerning act of industrial trespass.” According to him, the two were caught collecting geological samples without any authorisation–a claim that would suggest industrial espionage at the highest level.

The police? They’re playing it down like it’s just another roadside stop.

This raises troubling questions:

Why are police contradicting the mine operators so brazenly?

Who is benefitting from soft-pedalling what could be a serious breach of national security and economic sovereignty?

Are we witnessing a cover-up to protect foreign interests?

Let’s not forget: Kangankunde is no ordinary mine. It is projected to generate $114 million annually for 40 years and has an estimated life span exceeding 200 years. It’s one of the highest-grade rare earth deposits in the world–and it’s not radioactive, making it a geopolitical gem.

And yet, with so much at stake, the police appear strangely unwilling to treat intrusions with the gravity they deserve.

Is this incompetence, or complicity?

If the government is serious about protecting Malawi’s strategic assets, it must demand an immediate and transparent investigation into this incident. Because right now, the only thing rarer than Kangankunde’s minerals is the truth.

By Nyasa Times.