How to Resolve the Galamsey Problem in Ghana from A Cultural-Historical Public Policy-Making Approach

Abstract

This study offers excerpts of a cultural-historical explanation to the question of “why theoretical frameworks underlying the processes of public policy-making on mining in general and artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASM) in particular, have and continue to fail to address the problem of ASM, locally or colloquially referred to as “galamsey” in Ghana. While the interest in the phenomenon of ‘galamsey’ lingers on, the focus of discourses among researchers has been on examining the political, socio-economic, and institutional challenges inhibiting effective implementation of policies on ASM in Ghana. Interestingly, interrogating the impact of the cultural-historical underpinnings of ASM activities in the Ghanaian context on public policy failures on the phenomenon have received limited research attention. Adopting a qualitative research methodology, anchored on the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) in tandem with the ‘Stages Model’ of policy-making, this knowledge gap was empirically interrogated. The study establishes that the processes of designing a theoretical framework to guide public policy-making on Ghana’s ASM is complex but fix better when the process is driven by a mixed approach (modern and cultural) in the public policy-making cycle. This typology is novel as previous studies have not approached the subject in this manner. In addition, the study establishes that adopting a mixed context-specific theoretical framework approach to guide public policy-making on ASM has more diverse implications on policy implementation than just the socio-economic, institutional, and political arguments dominant in the existing literature. The study amongst others concludes that the cultural-historical underpinnings and traditional governance system on ASM should be re-visited, analysed and some aspects incorporated into the current Minerals and Mining Regulatory Framework. Additionally, it is recommended that traditional leaders of gold- endowed communities including the National House of Chiefs should necessarily be consulted in the development of future public policies on ASM in Ghana. Finally, a constitutionally empowered, trust-worthy community residents and traditional leaders should be trained and supported by government to adjudicate on cultural value offences committed by local licensed and illegal small-scale gold miners in the course of their operations.