Government Set to Burn Confiscated Ivory

By: Bernadettah Kaphwiyo

The Malawi Government through the director of parks and wildlife has reiterated that they are going to burn the long awaited ivory which was seized in 2013.

In 2013, 2.6 metric tons of ivory worth 5.815 million US dollars were confiscated across the Malawi-Tanzania border.

In an interview with The Malawi star, Director of Parks and Wildlife in the country, Brighton Kumchedwa has confirmed that finally the ivory will be burnt on Monday, the 14^th of March.

‘We are set to torch the trafficked ivory on Monday as a sign of our commitment to the battle against poaching and smuggling in the country and as of the rest of the ivory we are waiting to hear from the government when to burn it,’ Kumchedwa hinted.

According to Kumchedwa, the burning of the ivory, which was confiscated in 2013, was delayed because of the Tanzanian government’s injunction which was obtained from a court in Mzuzu in which it was granted that there should be a three months delay before the actual burning could take place.

The torching of the ivory was blocked in September last year by the courts after the Tanzanian government took an injunction to stop the process arguing they wanted to use it as evidence during a persecution of suspected ivory smugglers.

Meanwhile, the department is still deploying officers to guard and protect wildlife in the country and it is inviting more private companies to help curb illegal poaching and ivory trade.

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