Govt cancels contracts with timber cooperatives

In a bid to check irresponsible wood harvesting and enforce payment of K600 million in unpaid licence fees, government has prematurely terminated a 15-year concession agreement with Timber Millers Cooperatives Union in Viphya Plantation in Mzimba.

In 2013, government signed an agreement with seven cooperatives under the union allowing them to manage 10 000 hectares (ha) of the 53 000 ha Viphya Plantation popularly known as Chikangawa Forest after a trading centre within. The contract was to expire in 2028.

Both Timber Millers Cooperatives Union chairperson Paul Nthambazale and Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining spokesperson (environment and climate change) Sangwani Phiri confirmed the order to have the cooperatives leave by September 8.

In an interview on Tuesday, Phiri said the union did not follow sustainable means of harvesting schemes which resulted in depletion of the 10 000 ha stretch of pine in less than two years.

He also said the union accrued huge debts in form of royalties which have never been paid despite government invoicing them to pay within 30 days.

Said Phiri: “They even resorted to harvesting trees along river banks and roadsides, an issue which did not conform to the agreed terms and conditions of the contract which in essence was also a violation of the biodiversity of the plantation, resulting in negative impact on the environment in the vast 53 000 hectare Viphya Plantation.”

However, Nthambazale said government was distorting information to victimise the union. He said, if anything, it was government that failed to honour the agreement.

He said in the agreement, government indicated it was giving out 10 000ha of which 6 561ha had pine trees, but when the millers went on the ground they only found 2 712ha of pine trees.

Nthambazale said of the 2 712ha, some section was allocated to Mulli Brothers Limited and Leopard Match Company while other parts were reserved for research.

He said the union had less than 2 000ha to manage as other parts were also encroached by politicians.

Nthambazale said despite government failing to protect the union from politicians, the cooperatives invested about K228 million in replanting and weeding activities.

He disputed the K640 million debt they owe government, saying the amount is on the higher side.