Ministry beefs up security in Michiru

Ministry of Tourism has engaged Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers and police to beef up security in forest reserve areas where communities are mercilessly depleting trees.

In an interview after touring Michiru Forest Reserve on Friday, Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule said it was disheartening that some people continue to devastate the protected forest for their own short term benefits.

She said engaging police and MDF soldiers is among the measures put in place to enhance security in the protected areas to preserve the wildlife.

Said Kamtukule: “I am disappointed with the devastation that has happened here at Michiru Nature Sanctuary. This is the only forest remaining in Blantyre City.

“We need to double down on our efforts to sensitise communities and give them a sense of responsibility in the management of the forests.”

The minister said MDF soldiers will be deployed to the forest reserve soon to enhance security.

“But that’s just a temporary measure. So, we need to find means and ways of how we can sustainably control the situation,” she said.

Senior Chief Kuntaja acknowledged that some communities surrounding the forest have been cutting down trees in the forest but said most of them are from Chikwawa, Neno, Thyolo, Chiradzulu, Phalombe and Mulanje who bought land along the Michiru Forest Reserve.

 “We have been keeping this forest since the 1930s, but these strangers are the ones destroying our forest because it is the only remaining forest in Blantyre. So these people want to finish this forest as well,” said Kumtaja.

In October this year, some communities around Michiru forest damaged houses of some game rangers within the forest and torched a bridge to restrain forest vehicles from patrolling the forest.

The communities further wanted the game rangers out of the forest so that they should continue cutting down trees peacefully.