LILONGWE, (MaraviPost): Taking a cue from His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, who launched this year’s National Forestry Season in Mulanje last month, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Honourable Bright Msaka SC, has launched a tree planting exercise in Machinga Likwenu Constituency, calling on the people to be vigilant against those fueling deforestation in the area.
In his remarks after planting trees at Mgoza Primary School in Traditional Authority Sitola, the minister said he decided to take the initiative to his constituency to compliment the president’s efforts in the tree planting campaign.
Msaka said Machinga Likwenu has recently suffered the brunt of climate change, hence the need to take the lead in the campaign.
Last November a devastating windstorm swept through the constituency, razing down houses and injuring 27 people across several farming communities. The disaster left about 1, 200 households in need of food relief and shelter.
Msaka, who is also Member of Parliament for the area, called on the people to be on the lookout for those that are perpetrating the cutting down of trees for charcoal, worsening the situation.
“Let us all unite against those that are cutting down trees and causing deforestation,” said Msaka.
The Democratic Progressive Party Vice President for the Eastern Region said while government has put in place stringent measures to curb the vice, it is everyone’s call to ensure that the destructive charcoal trade is stopped.
The minister also assured the people that government will step up efforts to improve infrastructure in the health and education sectors in the district. Government, he added, will also assist those in need of food relief during the lean period.
On his part, Traditional Authority Sitola expressed his gratitude to the minister for leading by example, adding that he will mobilise his subjects to ensure that the exercise is a success.
Machinga District Commissioner Rosemary Nawasha commended the minister for initiating the exercise, saying the planting of 800 trees in a single day will help meet the district’s target of planting 2.5 million trees this year.
Later in the day, the minister conducted the same exercise in Traditional Authority Mkula in another part of the constituency.
In his opening remarks, the chief appealed to government to mete out stiffer punishment on those that are promoting the charcoal business.
“There are some chiefs that are part of the charcoal trade, may I appeal to government to demote them as part of punishment,” said Traditional Authority Mkula.
This year, Malawi is looking forward to planting about 60 million trees across the country by the end of the National Forestry Season in April.
