Government says it is concerned with the decline of wildlife populations in Southern Africa.
Ministry of Tourism and Arts Permanent Secretary Stephen Mwansa attributed the decline of wildlife populations in Southern Africa to wildlife crime.
Speaking when he officially opened the Southern Africa Regional Judicial & Prosecutorial Workshop in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mwansa pointed at poaching, illegal wildlife trade and trafficking, as a major cause of the waning of wildlife populations.
Mr Mwansa noted that illegal trade and trafficking in wildlife products such as game meat, skins, ivory, rhino’s horns and live animals have increased at alarming levels.
The permanent secretary further urged Zambians to ensure that they protect the country’s wildlife as it is a non-renewable resource.
Mr Mwansa noted that the Department of National Parks and Wildlife in Zambia dedicates a lot of attention into law enforcement and field operations.
He said that the value of wildlife cannot be over stated and therefore there is need to attach economic value to wildlife and consider wildlife crime as economic warfare and sabotage.
“We need to put our heads together in fighting wildlife crime in the region said Mr Mwansa.
This is according to a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Ministry of Tourism and Arts Public Relations Officer Sakabilo Kalembwe
Stephen Mwansa and Jean Kapata are the reason tourism has failed in Zambia. Two unqualified people lacking skilled labour, higher learning (bachelor or masters), and proper training is a recipe for disaster. Jean thinks killing lions ($60,000) or elephants ($85,000) while taking a cut is tourism. It is unsustainable practices for employees to go unpaid for 5 months when they have contractual rights and against the law. Hiring a South African organisation to kill hippos is creating jobs for them and boosting their economy and GDP, instead of Zambian. You claim job creation yet can’t pay people. Tourism can aid in alleviating poverty, eradicate malaria and provide jobs yet you’ve failed miserably! Zambia Tourism Board’s Felix Chaila is another joke. Total failures!
Well said.
The total failures of touarisim under PF is a pointer to the rule of PF. They have failed in every thing. Even the roads they are dancing about have been totally overpriced. The poor zambians are charged double the going rate.
Wild life rangers have not been paid for 5 months and you think there will be no poaching ?
I totally agree with you. Zambia has so much potential in tourism but incompetence on the part of governments has failed the nation. I wonder if Kapata an enrolled nurse knows the first thing about tourism with due respect to the nursing proffession. Look at our neighbours and how they have used tourism to employ their people. KK promoted the industry better by far. He left a lot of infrastructure that successive governments have failed lamentably to utilise. When Masebo proposed drastic changes in tourism evil forces ganged up against her because she became a threat to their illegal deals. We’re simply a roten country to the core. God help us before these criminals finish our beautiful animals.
CORRUPTION BY THOSE IN RESPONSIBILITY IS THE REASON WHY POACHING VISES CONTINUE IN ZAMBIA, RESULTING IN DRASTIC DECLINE IN THE WILD-LIFE POPULATIONS OF OUR COUNTRY. ON THE CONTRARY, GO TO BOTSWANA AND VIEW WILDLIFE IN ALMOST EVERY INCH OF THE COUNTRY. STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS TO PROTECT WILD LIFE ARE STRONG, WELL EXECUTED AND STRONG MONITORING IS DONE. WE NEED TO DO THE SAME IN ZAMBIA.
How can you be concern when you have incompetent people in the ministry…who okay everything like the ever dull former nurse Jean Kapata. Go to Zimbabwe or Botswana why is there a big difference there yet we have the same resources?
Corruption has become so endemic that it is leading to failure in all areas. The Government that comes to power next month should tackle this vice with the force it requires to bring back sanity.
Unfortunately Chuma, if P.F. manage to rig the outcome on August 11, it will be the same old – same old, with MORE CORRUPTION, lack of organisation, or compassion for suffering citizens, more get rich siphoning schemes by crazy corrupt goons like Chikwanda, Chama et-al, & Zambian wildlife will well & truly become extinct!!
LETS CALL “A SPADE, A SPADE” HERE, – ZAMBIA’S CURSE WAS BORN THE DAY MICHAEL CHILUFYA SATA WAS SWORN IN AS HEAD OF STATE, AT LUSAKA HIGH COURT!
He well & truly duped us into believing he was “The Man of Action”
The rest is history!!
since the disbandment of ZAWA poaching has become endemic as there are no patrols done in national parks. How can you have rangers looking after our wildlife when they are not getting their salaries etc on time. It is a shame and Jean Kapata needs to be fired !
The incompetent PF Government is responsible for the decline in the wildlife population in Zambia. ZAWA shouldn’t have been taken back to become a department in government. It was a terrible decision.
The decline in our touarisim industry is a sad indictment of Edgar Lungu. He has totally failed as a leader and is oblivious to the decline of every sector in zambia.
To him as long as roads are build and he can dance spontenously all is well.
Our touarisim industry should be a major employer and forex earner comparable to the mines but under PF things have declined so much that shooting animals is the easiest way for them to raise funds. Even then wildlife workers are not paid.
Lusaka Times, you really do not sleep over southern province…… Look at the title and the story!
@8 De Pal.My wonder too! I thought they were going to write about Lower Zambezi and Mosi-o- Tunya parks but only to find a story of generalizations on the subregion. The entire PS just bemoaning without telling us what strategies he has to overcome the problem! No leadership at all! If you want to puts heads together to find a solution then take the lead as PS with your Minister and bring stakeholders on board! Not just bemoaning when you are supposed to lead in finding solutions!
Stephen Mwansa should be ashamed of himself making such statements because he might end up being embarrassed. Universities contacted him via email about student exchange programs from abroad which he has refused to respond. North America and Switzerland have students in bachelor and masters degree hospitality programs some from Zambia who requested they do their internship in Zambia which Stephen Mwansa denied. To this day this chap has never called them back or returned their emails in fear youngsters might outshine him. He now wants to come out looking like a saint? This could have been free education and transfer of skills from top hospitality educators from around the world which could have benefited Zambia.
As Depal points out I thought the PS is talking about poaching in Southern Africa and not in Southern Province as shown in the title.
THE RESULT OF “SONTA APO WA BOMBA, & DUNUNA REVERSE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT, & POLICY”.
Half of the animals have been eaten by Chagwa, & his crazy corrupt minister, officials, & cadres, @ Chagwa’s wild Whisky parties, & the rest sold off corruptly as live game to South African game ranchers.
Black Africa will forever struggle to develop, as though it has “Democracy” this democracy is seriously flawed, due to ignorance, & tribal voting tendancies, otherwise how else does one explain Zambians voting to State house someone they were fully aware had been expelled from practicing Law, after embezzling a clients cash??
In any sane functioning non -failed state, such a person as Lungu would NEVER have had his lawyers licence reinstated, nor be allowed to resurrect himself as a career…
continued;
ressurect himself as a career politician.
Lack of leadership by those running the nation and sector is the issue. Tribal issues and hatred expressed by ministers, shows they cannot not work together as a team. Retaining everyone’s individuality can bring contributions to the national character. Each can learn from each other, cherish their special loyalties and traditions which springs from their union and where culture and heritage comes in. Showcasing languages and being proud of being Zambians can add to this sector. Arts and culture can have long standing achievement and contributions including film making, sports, etc. Lower Zambezi can attract international universities such as Harvard in ecological research, that’s $8000 per student and money going into Zambia’s tourism. As long as Mwansa and Kapata are in charge of…
As long as Mwansa and Kapata are in charge of this sector, this will never happen.