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How charcoal is shipped out via Zanzibar
2005-07-20 09:33:13
By Bilham Kimati
Those running the illegal charcoal export racket have turned to plundering forests in Tanzania Mainland because of a crackdown on deforestation in Zanzibar.
A Guardian investigation has uncovered astonishing new details of just how the illicit business works.
The Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Zakia Meghji, told this paper that the situation cannot go unchecked and she appealed for concerted efforts to deal with it.
In an exclusive telephone interview with The Guardian, Meghji declared war against the alleged ’’easy forest accessibility’’ in the mainland and vowed to stop the unwarranted deforestation that has continued to threaten the survival of forest reserves in Tanzania.
As a follow-up to The Guardian’s story on the illegal export of charcoal to the Middle East published on July 4, this reporter went to Zanzibar to see how the shipments are made.
Only a few trusted individuals seem to have a clear picture of what is going on.
The Guardian also learnt of some secret locations where foreign vessels anchor near uninhabited islands off Kizingo beach in Zanzibar Municipality.
This reporter visited Madagani, a mini-port sometimes referred to as Forodha Papa, near the Malindi main port.
A few bags of charcoal from Bagamoyo were being offloaded while thousands others were being ferried to secret locations when he visited the area.
Labourers offloading charcoal bags said they knew that the charcoal came from Bagamoyo but added that they had no idea what its final destination was.
”Only a few bags, about ten, are taken from each of the five boats that regularly operate between Zanzibar and Bagamoyo. Where the rest of the consignment goes is a mystery to us,’’ Kazoki Mbelwa, 46, said as he dusted off charcoal soot.
This reporter went undercover, posing as a potential customer intending to buy a big fishing boat and hiring a ’’tour guide’’.
Boat makers at Kizingo talked about the growing demand for charcoal in Zanzibar. The charcoal came from the mainland which was also the source of the hardwood used to build the boats, they said.
They said it was virtually impossible to harvest hardwood in Zanzibar and added that supply from the mainland was what kept their business afloat.
’’There are forests reserves here in Zanzibar like Jozani, south of Zanzibar Municipality. Others are Ngezi and Msitu Mkuu on Pemba Island. The only problem is that they are guarded 24 hours a day, making it virtually impossible for people to cut down the trees.
We hear that things are different in the mainland where nobody stops people from felling trees,’’ remarked a smiling Haruna Salum, 45, as he sipped coconut juice in the scorching sun.
Salum also appeared well informed about efforts being made by the Zanzibar government to protect its forest reserves on more than 40 small islands.
His views were echoed by Omar Khatib who said virtually all the hardwood used in building boats in Zanzibar came from the mainland.
”The Forestry Department authorities in Zanzibar are very strict, but we still get all the raw material we need from the mainland.
We never run out of timber and charcoal because there is a constant supply from Bagamoyo. In fact, the supply is such that some of the timber and charcoal is exported,” Khatib said.
He added that forest reserves such as Mwanyanya, Kichwele, Pangeni, Kiwengwa and Ras Kiuyu in Unguja and Misali in Pemba were out of bounds to loggers and charcoal dealers.
A Forestry Department official, speaking on condition of remaining anonymous, said natural forests in Zanzibar ranged from tracts of land covered with short bushes to thick forests.
He said like many tropical forests, dense forests in Zanzibar had a bottom layer of herbaceous species, a network of climbers and upper layer of perennial species.
’’Almost all plant species in the forests are protected,’’ he said.
The person (name withheld) previously mentioned to be at the centre of the illegal charcoal export business has reportedly placed an order for four boats as he seeks to expand the shipment of charcoal from Bagamoyo.
A hired tour guide took this reporter to Zanzibar’s posh Kiembe Samaki neighbourhood where he was shown a magnificent mansion belonging to the charcoal exporter. The house is off the road leading to the airport.
’’This man used to be a poor civil servant, but he is now a super rich businessman. We know that he exports charcoal to the Middle East but we cannot tell exactly where the foreign vessels ferrying the commodity abroad dock here in Zanzibar,’’ Zanzibar Municipality resident Kassim Hemed said.
Responding to claims of laxity within the Forestry Department in the mainland, Meghji said there was a need to change the approach as far as the protection of natural resources was concerned.
’’The Forest Act of 2002 provides for minimal consumption of wood fuel. It would be disastrous to completely stop villagers and urban dwellers from using charcoal which is comparatively cheaper,’’ the minister said.
’’At the end of the ongoing parliamentary session, my office will not only announce a comprehensive new approach to safeguarding natural resources, but also implementation of already-devised plans that include the involvement of rural communities,’’ Meghji added.
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