First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda called for stiff laws on the management of the country’s natural resources. Dr Kaunda said there is need to put an end to unnecessary cutting trees in the country.
Dr Kaunda was speaking at the launch of the National Tree Planning Programme in Kanakantapa in Chongwe district yesterday,
A total of 25 million trees are expected to be planted countrywide during the same programme.
Speaking at the same function, Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukambo II thanked government for attaching great importance to the reforestation and aforestation programme in the country. Chieftainess Nkomesha thanked government for choosing Chongwe as the first pilot area.
She explained that Chongwe district is one of the many towns in the country that have the highest deforestation rates because of its location to the highest charcoal demanding market of Lusaka and the surrounding areas.
The traditional leader further bemoaned the previous government’s neglect to revamping the forest sector a situation she said has continued to accelerate the deforestation rates resulting in most rivers drying up in most parts of the country.
The traditional leader also urged government to emulate the first republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda style of governance of ensuring that tangible measures are put in place to resuscitate the forestry sector.
Chieftainess Nkomesha further thanked the PF government for revamping the many developmental programmes neglected by the previous regime especially those which were of economic value to the country.
The event was attended by several Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Diplomats accredited to Zambia.
And earlier President Michael Sata launched the National Tree Planting Programme (NTPP) with emphasis on revamping the forestry sector in the country. President Sata said government will also restructure the forest department in the ministry of lands so that it can effectively implement the national tree planting programmes (NTPP).
Mr Sata said once the department is effectively restructured, it is expected to create more than 200,000 jobs in the short term.
The Head of State said this is in line with the PF government’s commitment to create employment opportunity to the Zambian people a noble task at which it was ushered into government.
Mr Sata said this in a speech read on his behalf by Justice Minister Winter Kabimba at the launch of the National Tree Planning Programme in Kanakantapa in Chongwe district yesterday.
A total of 25 million trees are expected to be planted countrywide during the same programme.
And Lands Minister Wilbur Simuusa said government will soon lift the ban on timber licensing in the country after consultations with key stakeholders.
Mr Simuusa also said government is seriously working out modalities of coming up with serious measures on the rampant charcoal burning in the country, a move he said will assist in streamlining the rampant cutting of timber trees.
Mr Simmusa further said there is need for serious sustainable, management and reforestation programme and called for adequate support from all key stakeholders in the country.
nice one pf.viva kk, viva sata. pastor ask ur mmd why you were promoting charcaol burning instead of tree planting under rb.this is a plus for pf.not even mwanawasa planted a single tree.
Lier. Go back to archives and you will be shocked that the late Mwanawasa participated in reafforestation programmes. He had great vision for this country. the same programme you are boasting about was borne during his administration.
Do some research – google. Both LPM and RB planted some trees. RB’s big posters were on the Ndola-Kitwe rd. all those trees along that road were planted under RB
UNIP is back bane.
Animals in the parks are finishing and copper is freely taken out with less loyalties paid to our country. We are loosing out please.
KK is a big hypocrite and witch. He is in the fore front encouraging dictatorship. He has no love for Zambia. We don’t want his comments, go back to malawi. Tree planting is an on going process which must not be politicised or stop. KK is misusing tax payers money. HH pliz can u rescue us.
While applauding this important gesture and wishing the Forest Department all success, it is important not to just focus on tree planting as mostly it is exotic species that are planted and its not easy to guarantee success with the poor fire management praxctices now prevalent. Besides, these exotic species will not offer all the ecological functions and services provided by natural indigenous species.
Therefore, promotion of regeneration through good forest management is critical and let us desist from these ceremonial activities which die with the pomp they come with.
The Minister of Lands also needs to be careful that eh is not captured into a cacoon by same people who have made the forest sector fail. I like his zeal and determination but I fear that he is not getting full…
I meant to state that the Minister of Lands, Environment and Natural Resources needs to ensure he listens to a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the forest and natural resource sector. At the moment, he appears to have been “captured” and cacooned so thta he just hears one side of the story by people who have actually grounded this sector.
On restructuring, it has to start from the top, the current Director of Forestry has been at the helm of that Department for so long and she has supritended on the period the sector suffered immensely. In my considered opinion, she will not be the right person to turn around this sector and new blood is needed. That is why I am worried that she has ensured that the current Minister is totally and fully cacooned, he need to realise this before too…
So this devil lunatic is still busy behaving like a PF party cadre, atase. The next president should squeeze this gurumuthu and shout ‘musiyaleni foo MaLozi’ to awaken the ghost of one premier to haunt him once again, we muloshi we!
Mr simuusa can you find a contractor to work on the road leading to your constituency office in kabundi south.we are tired of using this roads with huge potholes .am sure anyone who has been to this office knows what am talking about
The real vice president KK has spoken. bunch of bull…..
What happened to bakapenda mabula? They policed the environment & controlled tree cutting effectively: why re-event the wheel. Pls keep that which works.
#3 Fisenge STOP using such words to insult the Great Father of our nation,you are just cursing yourself, so SHUT IT!! You headless chicken, Imbecile!!
#6 Harry Mwabange…. you dare insult our Great Father Of our beloved nation…..you cursed ignorant kolwe!! were you brought up by human parents or Dogs…SHUT IT!!!
Long Live Dr Keneth Kaunda and ONE ZAMBIA, ONE NATION
#8 Baksasa……ukuichindika mune! kusuma sana……
In the 21st Century, there should be no charcoal burning … in a country only second to Mozambique in terms of coal reserves on the continent, there should be no charcoal burning. New technologies such as pallets can take over the charcoal burning machinery and replace it with highly clean renewable energies.
Government’s policy should be to ban all charcoal burning enterprises around the country and replace them with coal alternatives immediately, while developing pallet manufacturing processes country wide. Our coal is local, it is cheaper to process and has higher BTU than that of charcoal.
Coal mining is a sustainable enterprise with labor intensive advantages and has great economic viability while charcoal has devastating effects on our eco system. Replace charcoal with coal.
its indeed long live KK you will be 89 this year. I remember old days when they entire country shouted LONG LIVE Kaunda. we have proved it. so far two presidents have died because the country did not bless them like in Kaunda days. I am joining the old to shout today that LONG LIVE Kaunda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gee, a government is praised for planiting trees? God help us.