- According to the data from Zanzibar Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), about 500 hectares of trees in Zanzibar are cleared annually to get firewood and charcoal.
- TanTRADE deputy board chairperson Dr Issa Seif Salim, said, “We are happy to work with STAMICO on its plans to make alternative sources of energy that many people can use at an affordable price.
The Mayor of the Urban Town Council in Zanzibar City, Mr Ali Haji Ali, has urged people, including those living in military barracks and Housing, boarding schools and hostels, to stop using charcoal and firewood as sources of energy for cooking. He encouraged them to switch to alternative energy as the only way to save Zanzibar from the effects of deforestation. According to the data from Zanzibar Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA), about 500 hectares of trees in Zanzibar are cleared annually to get firewood and charcoal. He said this during a meeting organized by the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) in collaboration with TANTRADE to introduce the environment-friendly cooking energy branded ‘Rafiki briquettes’ to stakeholders, including environmentalists, food vendors and women who spend most of their time at home.
He commended STAMICO for initiating the ‘Rafiki briquettes’, which aims to stop people from using firewood and charcoal to save the country. He explained that the ongoing impact of climate change, drought and decline in crop production are linked to the prolonged loss of trees. The STAMICO’s Marketing and Communication Manager, Geofrey Meena said: “We have been on pilot promotion since last year when we started producing the briquettes. We promote it through media and public gatherings such as the current Mapinduzi Trade Fair at Maisra grounds in Zanzibar.”
TanTRADE deputy board chairperson Dr Issa Seif Salim, said “We are happy to work with STAMICO on its plans to make alternative sources of energy that many people can use at an affordable price (currently 1,000/- per kilogram is enough to cook or burn for three hours). This will help save our forests”. He said promoting the use of Rafiki briquettes is also backed by calls from top leaders: President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan and Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, as they have been promoting the protection of the environment.