In a recent interview with Amansan Krakye on Property FM, Ghanaian rapper Kweku Darlington shared his perspective on the ongoing issue of galamsey (illegal small-scale mining) and why it remains a persistent problem in the country.
According to Darlington, galamsey is unlikely to end anytime soon due to the socio-economic realities faced by many Ghanaians.
“First of all, what we have to realize is that galamsey is not something that will come to an end anytime soon, so let’s keep it in mind that galamsey will never stop,” Darlington stated, acknowledging the difficulty in curbing the practice.
He pointed out that the widespread unemployment in Ghana contributes significantly to the issue, with galamsey serving as a source of livelihood for many jobless citizens.
“We live in a country where there are no jobs for people to do, so the majority are unemployed, but when someone opens a galamsey site, it employs a lot of people,” he explained.
For Darlington, while the practice itself is illegal and harmful to the environment, it provides a financial lifeline for many who have no other means of survival.
However, the rapper did not shy away from addressing the detrimental impact of galamsey on Ghana’s natural resources, particularly its water bodies.
“These galamsey sites also help to employ the jobless masses, which helps them to make some money, but what’s not helpful is how it’s fast destroying our water bodies,” he remarked, underscoring the environmental damage caused by improper mining techniques.
Darlington proposed a solution that involves the government stepping in to mitigate the damage without completely shutting down the mining operations.
“What I think is that the government must get the services of experts to go to these galamsey sites to educate the people about proper mining practices which will not destroy our water bodies,” he suggested.
His recommendation highlights the need for a balanced approach that allows mining to continue in a way that minimizes environmental harm.
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