Power Relations between Transactional and National Actors and Their Impact on the Mining Sector in Malawi

Abstract

This study analyzes the power relations existing between transactional and national actors and how these impact Malawi’s mining sector. Through a survey as well as interviews with 41 key informants, the study established that national actors have more power in the mining sector as far as policy development is concerned. We also found out that the most powerful actors in the mining sector were the International Non-Governmental Organizations and private mining companies at p=0.000 followed by the Department of Mining at (p=0.048) respectively. Transactional actors too have influence in the mining sector. The reasons for their influence included; investment of huge sums of money, control over markets of minerals and funding of policy implementations that meet their interest with at (p=0.000), (p=0.001) and (p=0.003) respectively. Transactional actors have more influence and control over pricing and market access at a score of 96.6% compared to 3.4% control by the government. The legal and policy framework in Malawi partially addresses the power imbalances in the sector with a rating of 40% while 13.3% rated same as fully addressing the power imbalances. The study concludes that the national actor’s power is only a channel to receive taxes, grants and aid to build the country’s struggling economy. The study recommends that the government must pay attention to significant power asymmetry factors to sustain or alter them to their economic, capacity and technological advantage in the mining sector.