President Edgar Lungu has officially opened the Lusaka National Park to the public.
President Lungu also unveiled and laid wreaths at the memorial monument at the facility in honour to wildlife Police Officer (WPOs, Village Scouts, as well as men and women who have lost their lives during the course of duty.
Mr. Lungu went on conducted a game viewing of white rhinos and blue beasts at Zambia’s 21st and smallest protected wildlife sanctuary in the country.
The Lusaka national park is the smallest protected area in Zambia and newest park with some exotic wildlife species from South Africa was established and gazetted in May, 2011.
Other species include white rhinos, giraffes, elands, hartebeests, zebras, sables, kudus, blue wildebeests, waterbucks, black lechwes, impalas, pukus, bushbucks, reedbucks, warthogs, one pangolin, and axis dears.
President Lungu has since called for the development of conservation areas and game ranches in the country.
Mr. Lungu said the ranches would significantly reduce pressure on national wildlife estates and consequently boost the tourism sector.
He disclosed that government is in the process of decentralizing tourism to involve the local people.
He challenged Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata and her Local Government and Housing counter John Phiri to come up with plans for establishing game parks in other cities and towns in Zambia in an effort to grow the tourism sector.
He further called for the establishment of a central park for the city of Lusaka to be a hub of recreation and culture noting that other major cities around the world have such facilities that amplify their quality of life.
“Imagine how Lusaka would be improved by way of increased employment opportunities, general physical fitness of the city residents and reduced air pollution if there was a central park,” President Lungu said.
He directed Lusaka Mayor and Councillors in the Lusaka city council to rehabilitate abandoned or dis-used community parks in neighbourhoods around the city so that they become centres of recreation and culture.
And speaking earlier, Tourism and Arts Minister Jean stated that there are 20 national parks in the country and one sanctuary protected area.
Ms. Kapata said the Lusaka national park sitting on a 6, 715 hectares has got 1,000 wildlife species besides white rhinos, impala and blue beats.
She disclosed that her ministry was transforming Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) into a department under her ministry.
ZAWA Acting Director General Kampamba Kombe, who is also the Authority’s Legal Counsel, disclosed that the ZAWA has spent over K5 million to put up various infrastructures in readiness for the opening of the park.
Though the park is fenced off in a 33 kilometre park perimeter to keep animals within the park, Mr Kombe warned people against encroaching and farming in the park as they risked being prosecuted.
He said the park would have activities like camping, walking safaris and bicycle riding, among others becomes an economic spinner that would contribute to the gross domestic product through tourism.
Former president Rupiah Banda, Zambia Tourism Board and ministry officials, Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II, PF Secretary General Davies Chama, some cabinet ministers, diplomats accredited to Zambia were among the people who witnessed the commissioning ceremony of the facility, located about 30 kilometres south-east of Lusaka central business district.
His he not supposed to be in there so the rhinos can watch him?
This girl can help boost Zambia’s tourism. Please see the potential. Go on Twitter and type “@clarajust1”. It’s amazing.
Is the park now open to the public and where exactly is it located?
I do criticise Changwa when he does something wrong but he has scored a plus on his directive today about having a neighbourhood and a central park in Lusaka and other cities. But problem is that the so called corrupt council people are the ones who were selling central parks into houses. good example, Kasenshi park and Village green in Ndola. but where a central park be found in Lusaka? any suggestions somebody?
Zambian reporters should also move with the times. Why not give us a Google earth map location of the park?
MY FRIEND YOU ARE ASKING FOR TOO MUCH. JUST LOOK BY THE PICTURE LT HAS GIVEN YOU. IT IS AS IF CAMERA ARE SO EXPENSIVE AND DEVELOPING FILMS TO PICTURES COST MILLIONS. WHAT REALLY CAN ATTRACT YOU ABROAD/OVERSEAS TO COME TO ZAMBIA TO SEE LUSAKA NATIONAL PARK BY THIS BORING PICTURE? DO YOU THINK SOUTH AFRICAN MEDIA CAN NOT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVERTISE A NEW BRANCH OF KRUGAR PARK AUTHORITY IF SA DECIDED TO CREATE ANOTHER ONE? DEFINITELY YOU WOULD SEE A LOT OF PICTURE AND START PLANNING YOUR HOLIDAY JUST BY LOOKING AT THE EXPOSURE IN PICTURES. OUR MEDIA IS GOOD FOR NOTHING. THEY FAIL TO MARKET ZAMBIA.
Myopic leadership of the highest order opening small pointless parks when biggest parks are exposed to all of the above…..worse even small planes from SA fly in at will!!
LT you need to request for some more pics so that we can know how to comment on the park. just hope this park does not become another Monkey Fountain or another Munda Wanga. Even the rhinos seem to be craving for food. no green grass.
Agony is taking Rhinos just to go and die in that desert. i wonder what people like Kapata Jean think.
We need as many parks as possible. Why such a huge entourage though? How many VX V8 Land Cruisers were filled up for this trip? How many people were paid allowances? Then they say a referendum will be expensive yet they waste all that money.
TELL HIM TO COME AND OPEN OUR TOILETS HERE
One wonders why our tourism is not up to scratch. PF wants to spend millions on advertising yet the opening of this park could have been used to advertise tourism. With people who have brains, we could have had photos and videos of the park sent to Facebook, you tube and other free media forums by now. But the’s nothing on the Internet to show about this park except the story on LT
Where is Steven Mwansa, Jean Kapata, ZAWA and Zambia Tourism Board officials. Are they too embarrassed to be seen in this picture that does not even feature a waterhole for animals to cool off and healthy grass for them to feed. I see mostly rock and must be very different from their natural surroundings. Maybe its the way the picture was shot, please show us more. I would have thought Jean Kapata would have been the one cutting the red ribbon. They are ready to kill lions but not keen on promoting a National Park. This would have been the opportunity to feature the USA ambassador and turn the negativity around. Promote this on Twitter, Facebook, Zambian embassies and tourism board. I don’t see tourism officials promoting “domestic tourism” and urging Zambians to go visit this place.
Great idea to have a park near towns. Although I have not seen it physically, my feeling is that management need to see into the issues of design, so that the park looks like one. I am already seeing the picture with logs for a fence. Surely, we can do better than this. Rhinos can also charge through such sticks without any problems. A correct habitat for animals should also be designed. I will be too happy to provide such services. Give the animals the correct food as well!
I would bring in a muzungu to run the park,,!!they wil make it better than munda wanga of the 70 and 80`s.
Confining animals in prisons for man’s amusement is inhumane.
Ali Baba do you think musungu’s are the only one’s capable of doing things? There are many Zambians with skills capable of running the show. Do we honestly lack that much confidence in ourselves?
Both of you Ali Baba and Mr Zambia have points. Mu Sungu can run the park better. But Musungu has also failed us at Munda Wanga because we have had some useless governments with no good vision except to put money in their pockets. The park enclosure is a real disgrace. In this day and age, they should have put electric or even steel fencing for the animals. The enclosure where the rhinos are should have had green grass & pools of water. it is good that the Ghanaian president did not come to open this half baked park otherwise we would have been embarrassed. Even i could have designed this park better. How could they even expect the disable to climb where Changwa Lungu is to view the animals? Where are the facilities these guys have been bragging about?