April 12, 2021 Collins Mtika - Nyasa Times 2 Comments A drive to Mzuzu on the 116 km stretch from Mzimba via Chikangawa in 1998 and before would always be an indelible experience—kilometre after kilometre of undiluted verdant charm. Deforestation at Viphya A panorama of gently undulating hills of forest lushly decorated the roadside beyond the reach of the human eye in Malawi’s northern highlands, just off the grandeur of Lake Malawi. That was the Viphya Plantation in boastful—almost arrogant—glory, a man-made green belt whose history stretches back to the rule of the late Hastings Kamuzu Banda. But all that is no more; what remains are stumps that jut out as sad amputees on an ecological battlefield, thanks to mismanagement, political manipulation, greed and upended priorities.