For decades, disagreements over sharing of proceeds from the natural resources at Kuti Community Wildlife Ranch (KCWR) emerged, with communities surrounding the park, accusing park management of KCWR of reneging on the agreements contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides over 22 years ago.
While there is heavy reliance on the use of wood biomass (charcoal and firewood) for household cooking and heating, the disagreements have fueled massive deforestation, poaching and charcoal burning.
Undercover investigations conducted by this reporter reveal that massive destruction is being done at Kapanda, Mbalame and Mapiko villages which are closer to KCWR. And that charcoal burning is being massively done within the protected Ranch especially along the entire earth road which divides the Park in two, southern part belonging to Chief Kalonga and northern belonging to Chief Kuulunda.
Funny Chidothi who once act on behalf of Bibi Kuluunda admits the current destruction of flora and fauna is a cause of serious concern. She has the reasons to be concerned since large chunk of the ranch which has been affected lies in their area.
Center of the controversy
At the center of the controversy is the first five-year co-management agreement between KCWR and the Permanent Resident Community living around the perimeter of the park.
The first MOU was signed on 22nd January 2001 by the then Salima District Assembly, a Mr L.A Pitman representing Wildlife Producers and Hunters’ Association of Malawi (WPHAM), Senior Chiefs Kuluunda and Kalonga on behalf of the Permanent Resident surrounding KCWP with a no objection obtained from the Royal Danish Embassy endorsed by Counselor Henrick Nielsen, and it was documented under cadastral plan title deed SD/5017. The MOU was later extended for ten years after its expiry.
According to the MOU, the communities, through a co-management process, were to take part in the management of the wildlife by not cutting down trees for firewood, protection of charcoal burning and controlling illegal poaching.
However, over 22 years down the line the communities claim they have not seen the benefits of such MOUs hence do not see the need to continue with the agreement. The move has led to a breach of partnership obligations leading to damage of flora and fauna in the protected wildlife ranch.
WPAM, according to the original MOU, was expected to get 5% of the revenue for re-investment in the Ranch, the community to get 90% divided to the villagers proportionate to the percentage of the boundary that they protect and to be used for community social development projects such as schools, water supply, clinics and electrification, and the District Assembly to get 5% to cover cost of services provided to the Ranch and Community.
However, a news source who opted anonymity says the revenue shares were negotiated and adjusted to 50% each but WPAM vehemently rejected to share any revenue hence the communities went viral.
Privatization
KCWR originally was a cattle ranch owned by Malawi’s first President late Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda. And with the advent of multi-party democracy the ranch came under the Agriculture Research of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Covering an area of over 3,000 hectares, before disagreements KCWR had indigenous animals such as kudu, bushbuck, bush pig, duiker, oribi, reedbuck, grysbok as well as predators such as serval, civet, genet, African wild cat and various species of mongoose. This was before it was privatized and taken over by WPHAM in August 2000.
Communities claim privatization of KCWR was done without proper awareness on what the move would entail.
Through various donors, animals like nyala, wildebeest, zebra, ostrich, sable, impala, waterbuck, warthog, and giraffe were introduced in the ranch under management of WPHAM. The park is also home to a prolific birdlife and different species of reptiles, snakes and amphibians.
To date, one can hardly spot these species due to massive poaching and deforestation, with undercover investigations showing that the northern part of KCWR is completely bare. The electricity fence has also been vandalized to the worry of Salima District Forestry Officer, Adam Jason.
“I tried to intervene. But when I visited the area, I was told off by KCWR management that it is a private entity,” said Jason.
Jason, however, pushed the issues to the sister Department of Parks and Wildlife whom he said could be better placed to comment since the private entity has also endagered wild animals.
But while confirming the existence of the problem Director of Parks and Wildlife Bright Kumchedwa wasn’t sure about the magnitude of poaching at KCWR.
“I know there have been problems of poaching at the ranch but to what levels I cannot certify because I am not directly involved in the management of the reserve,” said Kumchedwa.
Senior Chief Kalonga and KCWR Manager Laurie Webb could not be drawn to comment on the MOUs, however, they confirmed in separate interviews of the massive vandalism and destruction of the environment within the protected area of KCWR.
However, the European Union has funded a consortium of Oxfam, Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA) and Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) with £1.3 million to implement the ‘Promoting Equitable Access to Clean Energy’, (PEACE) project with an overall objective of contributing to a more green and resilient economic transformation in Malawi through strengthening an enabling environment for equitable access to clean energy
PEACE project is targeting 185 000 poor households of which 832 500 people would be from rural and peri-urban areas. It will be implemented at national level, piloting clean energy solutions in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Salima; villagers surrounding KCWR inclusive.
Oxfam Malawi Country Director, Ms. Lingalireni Mihowa says the consortium christened this project the name PEACE in its truest form – on the premise that if all Malawians including marginalized groups have equitable access to clean energy for critical needs of heating and cooking, this would contribute to bringing peace between humankind and the environment.
PEACE project specific objective is to have citizens and civil society organisations that are better informed and empowered to advocate for their right to energy and for the adoption of efficient and fair energy distribution systems and regulations in Malawi.
In 2009, Oxfam produced a report focusing on Malawi titled ‘Winds of change’ which was used to inform both global and national policy on climate change management. The report shows how climate change interacts with poverty and environmental pressures to create a spiral into vulnerability.
Mihowa says the recently launched PEACE project is a product of rigorous process of consultations and convergence of ideas and lessons which started some years back and people from Yonamu, Mkhukhi and Katchenembwe villagers in Salima district – which are part of the communities surrounding KCWR had their inputs on the project.
Joseph Kandiyesa, an environmental advocate based in Salima says it is blessing that the district has been targeted on clean energy solutions project because charcoal burning is on the increase.
He, said people from all walks purchase charcoal along the Lakeshores and the design of the PEACE project is helpful as it targets to have people access cleaner energy , replacing charcoal and firewood, through cook stoves and gas.
Kandiyesa who is also executive director of Kindle Orphanage outreach say most importantly the project has the element of advocacy that will see communities accessing information regarding clean energy.
“Kuti Community Wildlife Ranch is very sad story because it has been protected for decades and in this modern age it has been destructed. There is little awareness raised on protection of the environment at KCWR,” says Kandiyesa adding that “I hope the PEACE project will be a source of information and solutions for communities to understand their role in conserving it.
Kandiyesa, however pointed out that looking at the costs of alternatives on clean energy solutions versus the economic status of the people in Malawi, communities at KCWR inclusive, there is need to advocate and subsidize clean energy products.
He said Malawians are very ambitious and willing to spend on items that they understand are beneficial to them and would be able to buy clean energy products if they understood its impact. He emphasizes the need however to ensure that these products are subsidized.
Kandiyesa said at his Kindle Orphanage outreach organisation they have a model of tree parenting where they motivate communities to raise tree nurseries, to plant and take care of the trees as their own babies.
“We have over 50 community woodlots away from KCWR with some communities having two or three acres of thick woodlots. Over 1,000 families are involved on this tree parenting model and we have over 300,000 trees now.
“In Malawi, we usually plant and our reports end there but as Kindle Orphanage outreach, we care much on survival rate and this is why we call it tree parenting,” says Kandiyesa adding they give awards to communities whose trees have survived more than 70 percent of what has been planted.
The family benefits include goats on pass on, their own woodlots, trainings, firewood from their harvests and this year, Kindle Orphanage outreach intends to engage them in beekeeping using the grown woodlots.
Kindle Orphanage outreach has vocational training centre where solar technology has been introduced where students are being taught how to make insulated solar cookers with the hope of reducing firewood and charcoal usage in their vicinity.
This, and many more interventions on clean energy can ease tension on destruction of flora and fauna as it is the case with Kuti Community Wildlife Ranch.
