Fish traders demonstrate over confiscation of fresh fish

Scores of Itezhi-tezhi fish traders besieged the District Commissioner’s office to protest against the arrest of their colleagues and the confiscation of their 500 Kgs of fresh fish yesterday.

The fish traders who included former Itezhi-tezhi district administrator in the Chiluba regime Fleming Nabuzoka and other UPND officials, thronged the district commissioner’s office around 10:00 hours today, chanting anti-ZAWA slogans and demanding to have their fish back.

“Yesterday we were on the boat on lake Itezhi-tezhi when we saw a Zambia Wild Life Authority (ZAWA) engine boat following us. We were stopped and told that we were under arrest because we were carrying fridges and ice on the boat. Later, more than 500kgs of fresh fish belonging to many fish mongers was confiscated ” the group’s spokesperson Armstrong Chisala said.

Chisala said after confiscating the fish, the ZAWA workers took it to Musa Gate and later to their headquarters in Ngoma.

“All the fish was taken to Ngoma together with our two colleagues who were arrested. These people have bad manners. Then they take our fish to Ngoma where they select the big fat breams for their pots, leaving the thin ones. This is very bad, because we spent a lot of money to buy that fish” he said.

Former Itezhi-tezhi UPND Youth Chairperson, Mukubulo Chilufya who was among the protesters said ZAWA’s action was tantamount to economic sabotage.

‘We want to register our sincere disgust at ZAWA regarding the confiscation of our fish. What they are doing is tantamount to economic sabotage. We spent colossal sums of money to buy our fish and now the ZAWA workers want to take advantage of our being unarmed to grab our fish and share it with their relatives” he said.

Former District Administrator Fleming Nabuzoka who was among complainants and negotiators for the release of the confiscated fish told the unruly fish mongers to exercise patience as the District Commissioner’s office and ZAWA were addressing the situation.

“Fishing is our mine here in Itezhi-tezhi. Just like our friends in North-Western Province have Lumwana Mine, our mine here is the lake and Kafue river. Fish is our only means of survival,” he said.

But when District Forestry Officer Chanda Besa, who represented the Acting District Commissioner, called ZAWA to clarify the matter, the officers who declined to be named said they arrested two fish mongers and confiscated the fish because it was against the law to trade and transport anything in the national park.

“According to Zambia wildlife Act, it is against the law to carry out trading and transportation of any goods in the national park. The fish was confiscated and two fishermen arrested for contravening this Act” the officers said.

Mr. Besa cautioned the fish mongers against contravening the laws of the national park.

ZANIS