Charcoal Harvesting is life in malawi

The Machinga Second Grade Magistrate’s Court has convicted and sentenced three men to 9 months imprisonment with hard labour each for being found in possession of forest produce without a permit.

The offense is contrary to Section 68 of the Forest Act.

The three convicts, namely Friday Matchani, aged 50, Kenneth Saveya, 35, and 42-year-old Kaunda Wailesi, were found guilty on October, 21, 2016.

State Prosecutor Sub Inspector Rodrick Kamuona told the court that the three were arrested on October 20 during the joint operation by police and the Department of Forest.

“Matchani and Saveya were each found with two bags of charcoal, while the third accused, Wailesi, was found with one bag,” Kamuona told the court.

In mitigation, the three prayed for leniency saying they were all bread winners in their respective families.

The state prosecutor, however, asked the court to impose harsher sentences arguing the accused had negatively contributed to climate change due to charcoal burning.

Passing sentence, Magistrate Maxwell Boazi concurred with the prosecution team and slapped the three each with a nine-month-jail term without an option of the fine.

Matchani hails from Mpamanda Village in the area of Traditional Authority(T/A) Malemia in Zomba; Saveya comes from Makina Village in T/A Kaduya in Phalombe while Wailesi is from Matupa in the area of T/A Chamba in Machinga District.