Kutsaira issues ‘full force’ crackdown order on charcoal business
Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Bintony Kutsaira says ministry officials will be patrolling the country from next week confiscating charcoal and arresting those involved in the business.
He said in an interview on Wednesday after leading his constituents in Lilongwe Msinja North in tree planting that charcoal business contributes more than any other factor to deforestation.
“We want to crackdown on the business. We are still losing a lot of trees to charcoal business so, we can’t fold our hands and watch things get out of hand. This time we are going full force,” said Kutsaira.
Commenting on allegations that some forestry officials aid charcoal burners and sellers corruptly, the minister warned that such officials are digging their own graves.
“That is all included in the operation because we cannot just be cleaning outside the house when we have a lot of dirt inside, so such officials will be dealt with severely,” he said.
During the tree-planting season last year, the Department of Forestry indicated that at the rate the country is losing trees, there would be no tree left by 2070 if no interventions are put in place.
To ensure that trees and other natural resources are secured, the department beefed up security by engaging the Malawi Defence Force to complement its own game rangers in guarding forests and game reserves.
Government introduced a tree- planting season every rainy season starting in December up to April when government ministries, departments and agencies and the private sector plant trees to replace those that were cut down.
Kutsaira said this year, government is targeting to plant 60 million trees across the country and he added that at the pace the exercise is going, the target will be met.
You can re-in force the crackdown on charcoal but what alternative have you given for fuel for cooking? This is a vicious circles
What does Mrs Kutsaira use to cook this man’s meals? If she has an electric stove, she can’t rely on it due to frequent power outages, so she probably uses charcoal. This man’s reasoning is typical of DPP supporters.
Join the discussion…Malawi is a failed state let us admit here. They guy is so pathetic, please provide an alternative to the charcoal use your honourable Minister.
This is the behavior of a government that found itself in position of authority but are clueless, ignorant, inexperienced, lacking serious understanding of the fundamental rights of the citizens in ensuring that the basic needs of the people are provided. Amangodzidzimukila pa zinthu without first undertaking a deep and thorough consultations, adjudication, civic education and seriously investing in long term mitigation measures and technologies that offer easy, sustainable, contemporary, affordable alternatives to using charcoal and fire wood for cooking. The minister has embarked on a mission he that will expose his ignorance like a side street practitioner. He will spend… Read more »
NAMAJEKETE UKWANITSA KOMA? USALANDE MAKALA WOGULITSA KOMA UDZIKAGUMULA KOMWE KUKUPANGIDWA MAKALA, WAMVA BUTON?
The problem is not about makala, the problem is about what will people use if they cannot use makala? Don’t try to cook with electricity because they will disconnect it 23 hours of the day, you can’t use gas because we don’t even know what that is, fix electricity and make it affordable then go after people buying makala and those burning them. We can plant trees all we want but as long as people don’t have alternative to makala, forget it people will burn the ones you just planted too. Mukungofuna kupezerapo kangachepe apa.. mxieewwww.
Stop goofing bwana! first deal with the forest fires,chacoal takes a very small percentage of our trees.Then deal with the buyers of the burned trees because they are the cause of the fires year in year out.
What is the alternative cooking method is he offering? Of course none. Just like any other dpp empty head.
I am going to buy a bag of charcoal. At K3000. Enough for a week of heating.
Sounds good! I miss the beauty of hills mountains l used just less than 20 years in my home village just few km from Mzuzu city heading west. I wish this will be the right way to save tress in Malawi.