Malawi’s deepening economic hardship is fuelling increasingly inventive – and comedic – survival strategies, with police now searching for nine suspects arrested for allegedly smuggling charcoal in a hearse disguised as part of a funeral procession.
According to reports, forestry officials intercepted the vehicle near Blantyre after a tip‑off and found an empty coffin placed over bags of charcoal worth an estimated $1,700.
Authorities say the suspects fled after briefly being detained, leaving the impounded hearse behind.
They face charges of illegal possession and transportation of forestry products, offences that carry penalties of up to five years in prison.
The funeral home at the centre of the case has defended its employee, saying the driver had simply purchased 11 bags of charcoal while returning from a family visit with an unused coffin.
The incident underscores the scale of Malawi’s charcoal economy, a trade driven by widespread poverty, chronic electricity shortages and rising fuel prices.
Charcoal remains the primary cooking fuel for most households, making its illegal production and transport both lucrative and pervasive.
Malawi’s reliance on charcoal has long been linked to rapid deforestation, with environmental experts warning that the country loses tens of thousands of hectares of forest annually.
The trade has expanded further in recent months as economic pressures intensify.
JN/APA