Chief Singani Raises Alarm Over Increased Charcoal Burning

CHIEF Singani says charcoal burning has become a lucrative business in his chiefdom following the high cost of living in the country, posing a challenge to the fight against climate change.
In an interview, chief Singani said the government must quickly find means to assist people living in rural areas to curb illegal cutting of trees.
He also asked the government to engage Zambia National Service to stop the increasing transportation of charcoal to Lusaka.
“Charcoal burning has become a lucrative business in my chiefdom following the high cost of living in the country. This is posing a threat to the fight against climate change. Let ZNS be engaged to stop the transportation of charcoal to Lusaka just like the case with maize,” chief Singani said.
He said the forestry department had lamentably failed to deal with the situation, hence the need for government to consider engaging ZNS before his chiefdom became a desert.
“Government should consider coming up with something better for these people such as empowering them in agriculture by making farming inputs affordable to them because leaving them like that when they have energy to work hard will end up making the country into a desert,” said chief Singani.