“Enough of charcoal business, we are now coming after you!” warns Malawi Natural Resources Minister Binton Kutsayira

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi Minister of Natural Resource Binton Kutsayira on Wednesday stirred warning to charcoal traders that next week the ministry will start confiscating the commodity in all selling points across the country.

The minister justified sweeping exercise to arrest the charcoal dealer in a bid to stop the trade once for all.

Kutsayira told Journalists at Mitundu, Lilongwe Msinja North Constituency during tree planting exercise that charcoal trade has aggravated Dzalanyama Forest reserve, the source of Lilongwe River.

He warned that the sweeping exercise will not relent any resistant from charcoal trader until sanity is sustained.

“Enough of this charcoal trade. Next week we are carrying a national wide sweeping exercise to confiscate all charcoals in the streets and selling points. Any resistance to this move will warrant one to be in jail.

“We want our forest reserves including the depleted Dzalanyama to recover fully as it’s a main source water of Lilongwe River. However, alternatives have been set for charcoal traders to generate income in replacing the trade,” says Kutsayira who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator for the area.

S.S. Sakuwa Steel Ltd sponsored the tree planting exercise through department of forest with over 10,000 seedlings.

Malawi government plans to plant about 62 million trees in 2019/2020 growing season across the country

Lloyd M’bwana

I’m a Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR)’s Environmental Science graduate (Malawi) and UK’s ICM Journalism and Media studies scholar. Also University of Malawi (UNIMA) Library Science Scholar. I have been The Malawi Country Manager and duty editor for the Maravi Post since 2019. My duty editor’s job is to ensure that the news is covered properly, that it is delivered on time, and that it is created to the standards set out in the editorial guidelines of the Maravi Post.