“FRIENDS FROM THE MEDIA”: Political commitment key to ending Galamsey

BY EDITORIAL TEAM

The issue of illegal mining, or Galamsey, is deeply entangled with politics, and it would be naive to ignore its political dimensions. A significant amount of political will—both from the ruling administration and opposition parties—is required to end this menace.

Political figures and activists from across the spectrum are involved at various stages of the Galamsey chain, often using proceeds to fund political activities. This makes halting Galamsey a complex challenge that demands extraordinary tenacity. Despite the devastating environmental and social consequences, political actors may continue supporting Galamsey as it sustains their followers and funds their electoral campaigns—unfortunate, but a harsh reality.

The Sikaman Times believes the solution to the Galamsey crisis, both in the short and long term, hinges on public declarations by the leadership of major political parties, particularly the NPP and NDC. They must unequivocally state their opposition to illegal mining and back these declarations with tangible actions, compelling their members at all levels to join the fight against Galamsey.

This urgency for enforcement coincides with preparations for the 2024 elections, making some politicians hesitant to speak out forcefully against Galamsey. This is further compounded by the perception that anti-Galamsey pressure might be politically motivated. Yet, President Akufo-Addo’s call for all 2024 presidential candidates to sign a pact committing to fight illegal mining is a step in the right direction. While late, it levels the political playing field by removing any electoral advantage for either party on this critical issue.

Since the renewed anti-Galamsey campaign began four weeks ago, some politicians have skirted around the issue in their speeches, offering only vague promises to support small-scale miners while failing to take a firm stance against illegal mining.

This lack of serious and straightforward stance against Galamsey only weakens the fight against Galamsey.

We are convinced that this week’s labour tensions—whether or not to strike over Galamsey—could be resolved if politicians from all parties unified in their stance against illegal mining. A joint position would render any parochial interests irrelevant.

As part of the government’s measures, the military has been deployed to disrupt illegal mining operations under an enhanced version of “Operation Halt.” This complements other initiatives, including plans to revoke L.I. 2462, which permits mining in forest reserves. While this is commendable, we believe that a coordinated, simultaneous operation across all Galamsey sites involving all security agencies (police, army, navy, and immigration) would be more effective than piecemeal efforts.

In the medium term, collaboration between a centralised anti-Galamsey monitoring team and local security committees (REGSEC and DISEC) is essential for sustaining these efforts. Additionally, environmentalists, engineers, and scientists should be involved in tracking improvements, such as reductions in water turbidity.

Moreover, small-scale mining licenses should be reviewed to ensure compliance with regulations and responsible practices. In the long term, addressing the underlying issues of unemployment and poverty in Galamsey-prone communities is crucial to making the illegal activity unattractive.

Civil society and the media also have a critical role to play by fostering unbiased, candid discussions on Galamsey, which will ultimately contribute to its eradication.