-A Senior Government Official in Chama District says illegal timber dealers have invaded areas in chiefs Chibale, Muliro and Lundu in Chama North in the Eastern Province.
Chama District Commissioner (DC), Peter Nyirenda confirmed this development in an interview with ZANIS in Chama over the weekend.
Mr. Nyirenda lamented that unscrupulous people both locals and Tanzanian nationals have ventured into illegal activities in chiefs Chibale, Mulilo and Lundu.
He revealed the District have since recorded an increase in unwarranted indiscriminate cutting of trees for timber production.
He said the timber cut from the three chiefdoms is being transported into neighboring Tanzania via Isoka and Nakonde on a daily basis.
The DC revealed that a District Forest crack team was last year formed specifically to monitor and curb illegal timber dealers but nothing has so far been done due to lack of funding and transport in the Department of Forestry.
Mr. Nyirenda expressed worry that once the forests are completely deprived; the district will experience negative climatic change such as drought and floods.
The DC who revealed that government was also losing huge sums of revenue , appealed to the Ministry of Environment to give the Department of Forestry in Chama a vehicle, if the trend was to be controlled.
Meanwhile,Mr. Nyirenda has since warned offenders to desist from the vice because once caught, they will be prosecuted.
And when contacted for a comment District Forestry Officer (DFO), Japhet Kabonso referred all queries to the Provincial Forestry Officer (PFO), Bwalya Chendauka who could not reached by press time.s
ZANIS
There are no jobs in the country. So you must expect such activities as source of income for the people you do not care for. You selfish leaders.
Please lets us guard our natural resources so jealously.Mind you timber has taken over all construction materials like concrete and steel, due to the fact that its an environmentally friendly material.We living in a time were green materials are taking the lead,lets us protect whats ours and its high time we started constructing real timber structures.
Imwe mwe bantu fwailikisheni icishinka.I reckon those timber traders have paid some money to someone through the back door thats why they had the nerve to invade chama district.Because i dont think they can venture into that trade at their own risks.They must have spoken to someone in authority prior to their invasion.
We need to empower the population through meetings were they are made aware that the natural resources belong to them and if all is lost it is them who will suffer through desertification and pollution. When they are aware that, these resources belong to them, they will guard them more jealously. Not as is the situatiion now were the villages are fighting for security jobs at the loggers camp sites. Infact fighting to guard pipo who are stripping their resources. And GRZ just pays lip service to consevation as usuall.
This is my Home District, I always knew that that place was loaded with resources. Gem stones, Rumus of oil, fertile soil. A brother might invest. Tanzania Kulinjala, Kwansala kuba swaili; The have a lower Per capita income than Zambia as crazy as that sounds, there are Actually African countries broker than we are hahahahahahaha, I am not laughing in a bad sense it just made my day. Anyway stop all this nonsense and find a better way to mint the timber; replant as necessary too. Kwa Chama Ni Kwithu.
hahahahaha I meant Rumours of oil.
we can do biz legal.
TEAK sawn plank
ynteak at gmail.com i am frank.
it’s KD, FEQ and FAS