Dedza communities for stiff punishment for wildlife crime

Community members in Traditional Authority Kaphuka in Dedza have asked the police and courts in the district to give long custodial sentences to people committing wildlife crimes.

Speaking on Saturday during a meeting Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Land Resource Conservation in collaboration with Malawi Environmental Endowment Trust organised, group village head Kasina said deforestation was rampant in Dzenza Mountain in the district.

“The suspects are released after spending brief time in prison or police custody. If the authorities are not supporting our efforts by giving stiff punishments, these people will continue to destroy the forest,” said Kasina.

In response, Linthipe Police Post officer-in-charge Stella Jentala pushed the blame to courts, saying the police just arrest suspects.

But Dedza second grade magistrate Christopher Kampaliro said there are parameters which they follow when sentencing suspects.

He said among other things, they consider whether the person is a first or multiple offender.

Kampaliro said over 90 percent of people brought to court are first offenders, as such, they would not give them maximum sentences.

“The primary purpose of the sentence is to ensure that the people who have been found to be in the wrong change their behaviour, as such, we would not give the punishment just for the sake of it,” he said.

Department of Land Resource Conservation deputy director McPherson Nthara said the meeting sought to help the community to come up with solutions to the deforestation in Dzenza Mountain around Linthipe I Bridge in Dedza District.

“We want to restore this mountain because the deforestation is just too much. We may have to allow the forest to regenerate or even supplement with planting new trees,” he said.