Fire, encroachment cost Raiply K4.2bn

Bush fires and encroachment have cost Raiply Malawi over K4.2 billion ($7,315,820), a development that has forced the company to engage the police.

Railpy Malawi chief executive officer (CEO) Thomas Oomen said in an interview on Monday the company has lost over 2 000 hectares of trees to bush fires and encroachment this year alone.

“At the rate the destruction is being done, we can go out of business within a year. In the past, we were experiencing bush fires and encroachment but things have gone worse,” he said.

Oomen said although Raiply Malawi has security officers, perpetrators are difficult to find because their activities are carried out at night.

He said this is the reason his company engaged the police to, among other things, sensitise the community on the evils of bush fires and encroachment. K2.5 million ($4,354.66) has been set aside for the exercise.

Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining spokesperson responsible for environment and climate change Sangwani Phiri said the situation is worrisome.

“Malawians have to be patriotic because by setting fires and encroaching forests like that, they are scaring investors off,” said Phiri.

Northern Region police spokesperson Maurice Chapola confirmed police have been approached on the matter. n