By Lyte Ali

Mangochi, March 9, Mana: Department of Forestry has asked detectives from Police, Wildlife and Anti-Corruption Bureau to fight environmental crimes, which it says continue to rise across the country.

Speaking in Mangochi on Friday during a one-day training session of investigators from the three departments drawn from across the country, head of law enforcement under the Department of forestry, Daniel Kabichi said results of lawlessness are causing problems such as drought and flooding.

Kabichi therefore said the newly amended forestry act requires partnership by all law enforcing agencies in the country, in order to protect nature.

“Forestry cases are widely spread across the country, a development which has fueled climate change, as you can now see that nature is now turning against us.  as such, we need to engage more detectives at all levels to enhance our partnership in the fight against such crimes

As a forestry department we cannot just implement the newly amended forestry act on our own because we will need other experts, hence this meeting is important platform for us to share what is needed in the investigation of forestry crimes,” he said.

Kabichi also urged communities to take ownership of nature, saying in most cases his department is accused of being lenient over protecting the environment, yet 90 percent of Malawians use the same resources in their homes.

In his remarks, head of Wildlife and Environmental Crime Investigation Unit at Malawi Police Service, Wellington Chindzakaza assured Malawians that police will continue to work hard in their everyday work to protect environment.

Chindzakaza said despite such crimes being well organized in a long chain, police have over the past years been able to investigate and arrest culprits.

One of the participants to the workshop, Gertrude Chonzie, a station Criminal Investigation Officer at Kawale police station in Lilongwe, hailed organizers for the meeting, saying it has helped her to acquire more knowledge on how to handle environmental cases.

Chonzie however said some cases are difficult to handle as local people that are found in possession of such prohibited properties tend to hide buyers, hence some are convicted while the real perpetrators are still left out.