By Edith Mwiinga, with support from TI-Z
Zambia’s forests are under mounting threat – including through flourishing illegal charcoal trade, allegedly sustained by systemic corruption within the Forestry Department.
With the nation facing severe power shortages and daily blackouts lasting up to 15 hours, charcoal remains the primary energy source for most households. This demand is driving an illicit industry that strips forests at alarming rates.
A single coach load, which costs about K700 to produce, yields around 10 bags of charcoal. In Lusaka, each bag sells between K450 and K500. Traders like 22-year-old Goodson Daka say they move between 300 and 400 bags every week. Producing that amount requires cutting down roughly 200 to 400 mature Miombo trees weekly, since one large tree yields only about a single bag of charcoal (20–50 kg).
Scientists estimate that Miombo woodlands take 30 years or more to recover their full biomass after clear-felling, with tree trunks growing only 0.3 to 0.5 cm in diameter per year. This means that what is destroyed in a single week of trading could take decades to regenerate, painting a stark picture of Zambia’s rapidly vanishing forests.
“The process is difficult because tree cutting is banned in many areas, so corruption is the only way for many of us to do business,” said Daka.
During a trip to Nyimba, Eastern Province, Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) spoke with traders who revealed how corruption underpins the charcoal trade from production to checkpoints. Daka described how bribes dominate the entire chain.
On one trip to Lusaka, he said he spent K6,200 in bribes at three checkpoints: K2,000 at Unyanya, K3,000 at Chinyunyu, and K200 at Chongwe. Even with a valid permit, he claimed officers often demand around K2,000 to avoid stamping it, thereby allowing the same document to be reused multiple times.
“There are so many fake permits in circulation. As long as you can bribe the officers, you’ll pass,” he said.
Experts also confirmed to TI-Z that weak enforcement and corruption are destroying Zambia’s forests. Panos Institute Programmes Manager Nervous Siantombo said vast tracts of forest are lost each year.
“Policy exists, but we’ve failed to turn commitments into tangible results. We need to link policy with enforcement and tackle corruption at its root,” said Siantombo.
He added that alternative livelihoods, stronger Forestry Department capacity, and public awareness are urgently needed.
“People complain about power cuts and droughts without realizing illegal charcoal production is one of the causes,” he added.
Traditional leaders echoed these frustrations. Chieftainess Mwenda told TI-Z that local chiefs cannot enforce conservation when officials themselves are complicit.
“As long as Forestry Department staff continue to benefit, not much can be done,” she said.
When TI-Z followed up on the allegations, the Zambia Police Service clarified its position. Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga explained that police officers stationed at checkpoints are there to carry out their mandated duties, while responsibility for inspections and issuing permits lies with the Forestry Department.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) confirmed to TI-Z that by June 24, 2025, it had handled five cases related to illegal charcoal trading. One of these cases led to a conviction, while four resulted in administrative action.
A senior director at the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that corruption exists within the Forestry Department.
“There is still a lot of work to be done by the government to restore order in the charcoal trading business,” he said. “This must begin with reducing inter-agency involvement and strengthening policy enforcement.”
Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha also acknowledged corruption among his officers. He said the ministry is now working to include the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in enforcement efforts.
“If they are corrupt at one check point, the possibility that they be stopped by a RTSA vehicle is very high,” said Mposha.
The Minister also stressed that his Ministry was committed to curbing what he called the country’s worst environmental enemy and injustice — the high rate of deforestation — and to ensure it is effectively addressed.
In Rufunsa’s Chief Bunda-Bunda area, TI-Z met residents directly affected by deforestation. Local woman Masiye Zulu described how rampant tree cutting has worsened water scarcity and increased daily struggles for women.
“My children miss school because of spending time looking for water from far places and we also suffer from various illnesses such as chest pains which arise from the smoke,” cried Masiye.
She added that traders often exploit locals by offering as little as K150 for permission to cut “a small portion” of trees, but then clear far more than agreed, reaping higher profits in urban markets.
According to the Forest Act No. 4 of 2015, the sale, licensing, and permitting of forest products are strictly regulated. Yet TI-Z obtained a copy of an original charcoal trading permit that had been duplicated through photocopying, with no official receipt, demonstrating how easily the system can be rigged and abused.
As TI-Z’s findings reveal, Zambia’s illicit charcoal trade is thriving because of corruption, weak oversight, and lack of affordable alternatives for energy and livelihoods. Unless government institutions take decisive and coordinated action, the country risks losing its forests along with the livelihoods, health, and future of communities who depend on them.
📢 Report corruption and maladministration: https://tizambia.org.zm/report-corruption/
This story was produced by Transparency International Zambia under the Climate Governance Integrity Programme, implemented through the Transparency International Secretariat with support from the Waverly Street Foundation.
Authors: Edith Mwiinga (Spotlight Media News Reporter) and Zanji Valerie Sinkala (TI-Z Communications Officer/Investigative Journalist)
Acknowledgements: Raymond Mutale (TI-Z Head of Programmes), Sandie Sikazwe (TI-Z Environmental Governance Officer), Tamika Halwiindi (TI-Z Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Coordinator) and Bright Chizonde (Advocacy, Policy and Research Manager).
