By Blessings Tambala:
Barely 16 days after Natural Resources and Climate Change Minister Owen Chomanika disclosed that eight forest guards were killed in the line of duty in 2024, the country has started registering new cases of attacks.
In the latest case, which has been registered in Machinga District, some villagers have attacked and wounded forest guards who were on patrol.
Machinga Police Station spokesperson Western Kansire said Monday that five guards were wounded by villagers at Chikala-Nauko Forest Reserve in the district
“The incident occurred when forestry officers were patrolling the reserve and came across four people who were producing charcoal from indigenous trees. I can confirm that the suspects who were arrested by forestry officers are Justin Willard, 18, Thokozani George, 26, Charles Masamba, 27, and Stella Dyson, all from Chinthenga Village, Traditional Authority Nsanama, Machinga District.
“However, the suspects’ relatives mobilised themselves and attacked the officers,” Kansire said.
He was quick to say the officers were armed.
“Despite that one officer fired a warning shot, the villagers pelted the officers with stones and used sharp objects to inflict injuries on them,” Kansire said.
He identified the five injured forest officers are Hebron Nyirenda, 27, who was wounded on the right knee and had bruises on the face; Jason Sokosa, 27, who sustained a cut wound on the forehead and neck; Sailes Simunja, 28, who was wounded on both arms and sustained bruises on the head; Ruben Jesta, 32, who sustained a cut wound on the head and bruises on the face; Daudi Adam, 53, who was wounded on the left arm and sustained bruises on the head
“Meanwhile, three of the forest guards have been referred to Zomba Central Hospital while the other two are admitted to St. Luke Hospital in Zomba. We have launched a manhunt for villagers we suspect to have attacked the officers,” Kansire said.
Earlier this month, Chomanika decried attacks on forest guards by people who encroach into forests with the intention of illegally cutting down trees and charcoal burning.
“People who are destroying trees in our forests are now on the loose as they are killing some forestry officials they meet in protected forests. We, as a ministry, are saddened and condemn this vice in strongest terms. We are in the process of finalising procedures to ensure that almost all forest guards are armed so that they are able to protect themselves,” Chomanika said.
On his part, Principal Secretary for Natural Resources and Climate Change Yusuf Nkungula said, in 2024, the ministry recruited 300 forest guards who have been deployed to 88 protected forest reserves across the country.
“We plan to recruit an additional 1,500 forest guards by the end of March this year to ensure improved security in our forests. By December last year, we managed to confiscate 26 cars that were caught in illegal transportation of forest products. All this shows our seriousness in taming environmental depletion practices,” Nkungula said.
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