BY DRAXON MALOYA.
Malawi (News of The South) – Misunderstandings have resurfaced over the use of forestry resources from the Vipsya plantation also known as Chikangawa Forest in Mzimba and Nkhatabay Districts.
Indegenous timber Millers are complaining that government is giving a special priority in giving business to foreign investors in the tree plantation.
The Millers under their umbrella body, Reformed Timber Millers Union conducted a press briefing in Mzuzu on Monday where they expressed their displeasure with the government’s conduct in awarding tree plantation plots to the foreigners.
And speaking in an interview the chairperson of the union Paul Nthambazale said they have exhausted all avenues of dialogue so they are staging demonstrations starting from tomorrow.
“We are staging our demonstrations starting from tomorrow, we can’t stand aside and look at foreigners benefiting from the forest resources which our forefathers sweated for being depleted by those foreigners,
“The minister came and we held discussions with him but it seems the talks yielded nothing, so our demonstrations starts tomorrow and we shall hold vigils at the forest office at Chikangawa,” Nthambazale said.
Commenting on the issue, Inkosi Mtwalo of Mzimba District traditional authority Kabunduli of Nkhatabay District conquered with the timber Millers saying that indeed the forest is only benefiting the foreigners.
“For almost 75 years Kabunduli gave land to the Englishman, Boardman in 1945 at Mazamba people have not benefited from that tree plantation,
“And by then people were already there since 1912, so to call them encroachers today it is very unacceptable,” Kabunduli said.
Efforts to talk to the responsible minister, Paul Chibingu proved futile as he left his phone unattended several times this reporter called.
This demonstration and vigils are coming at a time when the country is witnessing some violent demonstrations in some parts of the country which are calling for the resignation of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah following the disputed 21st May presidential election.
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