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 his term trying to treat symptoms, effects or results instead of dealing with the source of the problem.
1- He will use police and or military to fight charcoal dealers.
2- Spontaneously, charcoal demand will surge too high, resulting in a surge in the price of charcoal, making it the most highly rewarding business.
3- High rewards will prompt the police and all controlling personal become crafty charcoal dealers protected by government. (We know this happens already)
4- A surge in demand and reward will prompt the traditional charcoal dealers to mobilize themselves to fight their way through by violent means. ( check history, ngati muli mulendo mu dziko lino)
This is how a confused government deals with technical issues that are dynamically complicated with zero drive into investing in technologies that are planned to contain population growth rate, corruption and rotten politics of appeasement.
The minister is himself is very ignorant of the fact that:
1- Most charcoal users are in cities and developed areas that have escom power lines passing over their houses, but escom can’t connect them. Some paid the connection fees and have never been connected for as longer as 4 years. ( ask the people )
2- Most charcoal consumers spend a minimum of k10 000 per month, that could buy enough electricity for a month for a standard household.
3- Use of charcoal is far more expensive than electricity but unreliable supply and lack of information on sustainable use of electricity doesn’t help matters.
4- The minister is not a subject matter expert in various sustainable energy production, and associated dynamics like, import costs of portable gas, tax, marketing, safe use, as an alternative to charcoal.
In SA, Mozambique, Tanzania, 20kg of gas costs less than k20 000. In Malawi, the same quantity costs K68 000. Why can’t government subsidize gas? Or tell MRA to get its hands off gas business, and get government control the price.
Lastly, let me say that our government is bad news in as far as conserving protected areas is concerned. For example. We never ever be able to see vehicles driving in a Sannika palace, from anywhere outside sanjika. We grew up near sanjika but we never saw the buildings on sanjika hill. But now, sanjika ili maliseche. Ili pa mbalambanda. Watha mitengo ya sanjika ndani. Poti anthu wamba samalowako. Ndiye ngati inu atsogoleli mukulephela kuteteza sanjika hill, mukukhulupilila kuti anthu angakumveleni kuti ateteze Dzalanyama? Mulanje? Timangokumvelanitu mukamabwebweta. Miyezi yapitayo anali a Dausi anabwebweta mwa phokoso za kusamala mitengo. Please lead by example. Musamati ” Don’t do what l do BUT just do as l say “
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.
It’s a great idea to plant as many trees as we can. Credit should be given to those who are trying their best to reserve our trees. However, mr Kutsaira is well aware that most of the people in our beloved country do depend on either charcoal or firewood. It is limited number of people who can afford gas or electricity. I hope mr Kutsaira has also plans on the table to cut off the price of electricity, and provide free electricity and gas to the families that can not afford the difference. Otherwise we are just going to keep blaming one another for good. Let’s look at the source of our problems before shooting the messenger.
The Minister is missing the root cause of the Charcoal demand, lack of good and cheap alternative source of energy in Malawi. Come up with that then this will come to a stop. Make funds available to make Charcoal from Biomas. And also introduce renewable energy sources. Another point is to ban the Kampopi Tobacco. Not least, the Barely tobacco Vigafas must not use virgin trees but plastic sticks which could be reusable. True, without interventions Malawi will be a desrt soon The song of “Byalani Mitengo” has been sang from the early 70s but no improvements. We really have to be serious in Malawi.
KkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk what?
Make a proper plan for that
End black outs and provide cheap electricity to everyone
Otherwise u have goofed _100%
Stopping anthu from using charcoal without providing affordable solutions palibe komwe tikulowela…make LPG and its accessories affordable to all first…
uphetsa anthu
Your problem Mr Nduna is that you’re chasing those who are carrying charcoal, than going to those who are burning charcoal.
It’s like you only look on the leaves of a tree than root cause.
That’s your weakness in the ministry.
Start punishing where trees are cut and ban those pipo you will see no bag of charcoal along the road.
Give us the alternative
Nanga where is the alternative. you are busy chewing money instead of bringing electricty to everyone . Osauka saphika etiii
UPHESA APOLISI OSALAKWA APA —‘UMPHAWI WONSEWU WANTHU ACHITA BWANJI NDI WANA ?
Good Luck!
Make sure you have affordable, sustainable and reliable alternative energy sources before your “crackdown”. For others, it’s the only source of energy for cooking et al.
Thank you sir for your plan to crackdown on charcoal sales. We understand we need to preserve trees for the good of the population. Now before you start your mission, can you briefly explain to us what you have put in place to provide fuel or energy to replace the coal use especially in the rural areas. People can not be expected to eat raw food while they see tree somewhere they have to cook and eat. Most villages have no access to electricity nor gas cooker??
Empty head.Lets have an alternative energy source before you stop or quash people from this charcoal business.80% of Malawian are using charcoal for domestic purposes.What will replace this source of energy.
Yes, but provide alternatives
Before confiscating and arresting people. What is the govt doing to help these people.
Dont just jump into things without proper planning.
Patrolling the country , burning fuel on tax payers money inorder to get allowances.
Learn from other Countrys like Kenya.
There are so many raw material, animal waste that can be transformed anthu kumaphikila.
85% of Malawians live in rural areas, how many of those have electricity.
You guys are a joke. The money you are stealing could be used to the help improve the lives of these 85%.
The poor can be arrested the rich corrupt bribers are above the law.
Less than 11% of Malawians can access electricity which to make matters worse remains very erratic. Paraffin and gas remain largely unaffordable to most Malawians. Thus can we be told by Kutsaira what alternative sources of energy has government put in place for Malawians?
Be human Kutsaira, while you crack down give jobs to those involved in the business, do not take advantage of their poverty and think they are easy to put in jail, the right people to jail are judge bribers , alubino killers etc.
Tell us what the alternative to charcoal is Binton, you Idiot! If we come to your house in Mitundu, are we not going to find Makala as well? Learn to be serious! We are all passionate about Green Growth and we need to act fast, but we need practical solutions. Malawians will need to cook somehow. Even the enforcers themselves use makala in their homes! Go to the army and see how confiscated Makala are being distributed among senior officers.
Government (egenco/escom) should produce and connect people’s houses with electricity. If we don’t have energy in our houses, what do you think we will use
Nde tsono tiziphikira chani? Give us alternatives mr minister