Destruction of Zomba Mountain for its timber and charcoal production
* In order to protect it from “the free-for-all destruction” of its wood products by unlicensed timber harvesters
* Gangs openly carry logs from the forest to areas like Chikanda, Mpondabwino and places beyond Zomba city and district
* Sadly, it is this kind of environmental destruction that threatens water sources like Mulunguzi Dam, which is at its lowest level this year, and increases the risk of climate disasters
By Duncan Mlanjira
The continued “free-for-all destruction” of Zomba Mountain by unlicensed timber harvesters is a “looming crisis” — emphasises Zomba civil society organisations (ZCSOs) Network, in a statement issued yesterday, that asks President Lazarus Chakwera to order the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to establish permanent security camps on the forest reserve.
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The ZCSOs Network takes note that “despite a January 2024 government promise during stakeholders meeting at Sunbird Ku Chawe to deploy the MDF to guard the mountain, illegal logging continues”.
“Gangs openly carry logs from the forest to areas like Chikanda, Mpondabwino and places beyond Zomba city and district,” says the statement, issued by the network’s chairperson, Nicholas Mwisama — who is Executive Director for Transparency Initiative.
Loggers captured early this year in blazen daylight movement
“Sadly, it is this kind of environmental destruction that threatens water sources like Mulunguzi Dam, which is at its lowest level this year, and increases the risk of climate disasters.
“The deadly mudslides during Cyclone Freddy were a stark warning to everyone that the Mountain will speak brutally in the near future. And, on that day, everyone — including visitors to Zomba shall have a stake of their price to pay.”
Mwisama reports that as a Network, they are collaborating with well-meaning Malawians that include Southern Region Water Board (SRWB), Blantyre Walkers, Lilongwe Walkers, Joggers, hikers from Zomba as well as surrounding Districts under Friends of Mulunguzi — “in trying to replant the lost trees as well as erect firebreaks”.
The once beauty of Mulunguzi Dam, the catchment facility for SRWB
“We, therefore, encourage business communities, institutions, students, development partners and all the residents of Zomba to do their part in the efforts to restore the lost glory of our Mountain.”
At the January stakeholders meeting which Mwisama alluded to, Minister of Natural Resources & Climate Change, Owen Chomanika announced that MDF soldiers would be deployed onto Zomba Plateau as an immediate measure to protect depletion ot timber and other natural resources that is alarmingly rampant.
The meeting was organised to, among others, find solutions to the alarming illegal harvest of trees from the forest reserve and Chomanika said the Ministry noticed with sadness the rate at which illegal sawyers were harvesting trees from the plantation, posing a threat to the future generation.
“As an immediate solution, from next week, we will be deploying the MDF and the police who will be here for months or years,” the Minister had promised, adding that the MDF will be given all the powers to deal with anyone found entering the plantation and harvesting timber.
Chomanika during the meeting
Having noted no action was done to deploy the MDF, the ZCSOs Network thus call upon President Chakwera to exercise his powers as Commander-in-Chief of the MDF “by immediately issuing an order for the MDF to establish permanent camps on Zomba Mountain for the round-the-clock protection of the forest”.
“This is the most effective short-term solution to stop the deforestation while medium to long-term solutions are being identified and put in place,” says the statement, which also calls for community engagement.
“We call upon strong collaboration of local government agencies in Zomba to engage the communities on alternative livelihoods for loggers and raise awareness on the urgent need to preserve our mountain by all stakeholders.
“We also request the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) to extend their economic empowerment interventions to these groups. We appeal and urge development partners to come and join our efforts with resources that can fast-track restoration of the mountain.”
The Zomba CSOs also ask the law enforcers “to investigate and hold accountable — not only illegal harvesters of the trees but also buyers of the timber from the trees, including complicit business people and officials in accordance with section 46 read with section 64 of the Forest Act, 2020”.
At the Sunbird Ku Chawe meeting, Chomanika — who had then just been appointed as Minister of Natural Resources & Climate Change — also took note that another contributing factor to the malpractice was corruption amongst stakeholders, who included the forest officers, police and cooperatives working in the Zomba plateau.
“This challenging situation in Zomba should have been curtailed by us the stakeholders but it seems we are also the direct beneficiaries of this illegal act,” he had said, while emphasising that the honeymoon on plunder of natural resources was over, “as drastic measures would be taken on whosoever dare to destroy natural resources in the country”.
“If the malpractice involves politicians who claim to be powerful, let us know, we will deal with them decisively,” he had warned.
The Minister also announced about revocation of licenses to some concensioners whom he said were also contributors to the massive harvesting of young trees from the plateau.
“We can’t sit and watch some players who claim to be our stakeholders being in forefront promoting the malpractice. Today, I wish to announce that we have revoked license for Chivumbe cooperatives,” he said.
Senior Chief Mlumbe concurred with the Minister, saying a lot of damage has happened to Zomba plateau and the chief promised to support the ministry in it’s quest to protect the plantation.
“Getting the MDF into the forest is the rightful decision and we fully welcome it,” the chief said, while some of the participants at the meeting proposed for proper timber market licensing and suspension of sales of timber products in the district during off season.
Billowing smoke from charcoal kilns is order of the day on Zomba Mountain
Meanwhile, the Lake Chilwa Basin Trust (LCBMT) has commending the ZCSOs Network “for its bold stand against illegal deforestation on Zomba Mountain”.
“As stewards of the Lake Chilwa ecosystem, we express deep concern over the continued unchecked environmental degradation and structural negligence threatening community livelihoods and safety,” says LCBMT in its statement.
“We also acknowledge, with great frustration, that the Trust itself made prior interventions, including the issuance of a stakeholder statement (through the Chawe Declaration) to the line Ministry [made] several months ago — urging urgent government action on deforestation on Zomba Mountain.
“This, unfortunately, has yielded very little, if anything! The open inaction and apparent open defiance is very disappointing. LCBMT stands in full solidarity with the civil society’s call for urgent military protection of Zomba Mountain forest.”
The LCBMT also asks for “community engagement in protection and restoration of degraded environments, and legal accountability for both environmental and infrastructural failures”.
“The LCBMT affirms its readiness to stand with the ZCSOs Network and all stakeholders in safeguarding the natural and developmental integrity of the entire Lake Chilwa ecosystem.”
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