Mayor of Zomba City Council, Councillor Christopher Jana, has revealed that the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) has stopped its patrols on Zomba Plateau due to high operational costs.

In an interview with YFM, Jana disclosed that the MDF was receiving 19 million kwacha per month for the assignment, a cost the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change deemed unsustainable.

He expressed concern that the withdrawal of the soldiers has left the plateau increasingly vulnerable to illegal logging.

Jana has since called on the Forestry Department and law enforcement agencies to take immediate and decisive action to curb the malpractice.