Lands and Natural Resources Minister Jean Kapata says the regulation of activities in wetlands is important to preserve natural systems.

Ms. Kapata says government has already started the process with the formation of the National Policy on Wetlands which ensures stakeholders have a conducive environment to contribute to the conservation of wetlands.

She has expressed concern with the increasing threats on wetlands which include the change of land use for agricultural purposes, encroachment and unplanned settlements.

Ms. Kapata says the threats have long term effects with the potential to permanently degrade wetlands and disrupt the ecosystems.

She was speaking during the commemoration of the World Wet Land day in Lusaka.

And Worldwide Fund for Nature County Director Nacilala Nkombo appealed to government to ensure the protection of wetland ecosystems as they provide good quality water, food and livelihoods for many Zambians.

Meanwhile, Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia National Coordinator Patrick Shawa said water is important and needs to be safeguarded hence wetlands must be conserved to protect the resource for future generations.

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group (ZRHSG) is urging Government to scrutinize the delivery of motor vehicle insurance services in Zambia, since it is compulsory that all motor vehicles must be insured.

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group has observed the difficulties that insured motorists, passengers and pedestrians face in claiming their insurance benefits in the aftermath of an accident.

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group also observes the lack of concern by insurance companies for the motorist’s welfare and inconveniences in the aftermath of an accident.

“We note with sadness that insurance companies have left it to the insured motorist to run around collecting police accident reports, looking for quotations from motor vehicle workshops and paying hospital bills while they sit in their offices counting money from the insurance,” says ZRHSG Group Admin Mthoniswa Banda

“Motorists are left alone to argue among themselves who should pay who and cover what damage when that role should be done administratively between the insurance firms involved,” says ZRHSG Group Admin Mthoniswa Banda

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group is aware that the reason why motor vehicles are insured is to cushion the impact of an accident to the motorist and ensure that their way of life is not disturbed by the accident.

“On average it takes at least two weeks for a motor vehicle insurance claim to be honoured and another two weeks for a car involved in an accident to be put back on the road. If the owner of that vehicle only has one vehicle which they use for taking children to school among others, imagine the inconvenience and stress that the motorists goes through as they wait for their slow insurance wheels to turn,” says ZRHSG Admin Mthoniswa Banda.

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group notes that if insurance was not compulsory in Zambia, few motorists would insure as the majority don’t see the benefits of insuring year in and year out.

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group is aware that insurance companies are supposed to refund or give a discount to motorists whose vehicles are not involved in accidents at the expiry of their insurance period.

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group is also aware that pedestrians that are knocked down by insured vehicles are supposed to be taken care of by insurance companies but this rarely happens leaving the poor motorist to foot the medical bill or funeral expenses of the pedestrian.

By Mthoniswa Banda

Group Admin – Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group (ZRHSG)

The Zambia Roads & Highway Safety Group (ZRHSG) is an online road safety group with over 2,450 road safety ambassadors and is for sharing personal experiences and knowledge on road safety issues on Zambian roads and Highways by road users. These discussions will help identify road safety issues, bad policies and bad road designs requiring improvement by government and its agencies such as RTSA, RDA, NRFA, ZP and local councils.

Every week, the ZRHSG will produce a statement summarising the group discussion and sharing this opinion with Road Safety agencies and other policy makers so they improve Zambia’s Road Safety.

The Zambia Police command has noted with grave concern the growing trend by some members of the public taking the law into their own hands following a spate of gassing of people in communities and some killings that have characterized some parts of our country in the recent past.

Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja says incidents of instant mob justice so far experienced have unfortunately led to loss of innocent people’s lives and have also given criminals a fertile ground to advance their criminal motives.

Mr Kanganja said in the process, government property as well as innocent individuals’ property has been damaged such as police stations and posts, houses and vehicles as has been seen in some Districts on the Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces.

He has appealed to members of the public to avoid at, all costs, taking the law into their own hands.

Mr Kanganja said in instances where members of the public suspect any person of being involved in criminal acts, they are obliged by law to report such a suspected person or persons to the Police and not to commit instant mob justice.

“And once a person is arrested, members of the public are advised to have confidence in the Police. There are processes and investigations that are done to ensure that a water tight case is established against such a person which should lead to securing a conviction before the courts of law”, he added.

Mr Kanganja said the acts of violence to an extent where people vent their anger by damaging Government and individual properties are alien to Zambia and as such should not be condoned.

He said in the case of damaged Police Stations or Posts, people should bear in mind that total absence of security breeds indiscriminate criminal activities leaving people exposed to criminal activities.

“Note that Police Structures are put up by Government at a very huge cost. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to work in close collaboration and trust so that we together eradicate crime through Police/Community Partnership”, Mr Kanganja has said.

He has called on the media to partner with the police in sensitizing members of the public on the need to desist from vices such as instant mob justice as well as venting anger on infrastructure and Police Officers.

Mr Kanganja said he has since constituted a team of officers working in collaboration with ZICTA to clamp down on people circulating false and alarming information through social media. So far, some people have been arrested and will appear in Court soon while in other instances, investigations have advanced.

On the Chilubi By-election, Mr Kanganja said the campaigns started at a very good and peaceful note but regretted that as the election nears, some pockets of people have been fanning violence.

He has since appealed to all political actors to be tolerant, co-exist and conduct their campaigns within the confines of the Law.

Mr Kanganja informed the electorate in Chilubi that more Police Officers have been deployed to enhance security during the whole electoral process.

He has warned that that all those perpetuating violence will not be spared and those found wanting will be dealt with in accordance with the law and has instructed all officers countrywide to be very firm but fair as they execute their duties to restore peace and order in the country.

Tourism and Arts Minister Ronald Chitotela has promised the people of Chilubi that government will revive the tourism industry in the District.

Speaking at Chitimali school grounds in Chifwenge ward where he has gone to support PF candidate Mulenga Fube ahead of the February 13th Chilubi Parliamentary by-election, Mr. Chitotela said that his ministry will work towards bringing tourism investment in the area.

Mr Chitotela has observed that Chilubi has the potential to have facilities such as hotels and create tourism activities that will open up tourism in the area to the outside world.

He however said that this will only be achieved by attracting investors in the area which he says his ministry will do.

The minister said this will be achieved especially that the government has started other developmental projects like road development which is already in the pipeline.

Mr Chitotela said as Tourism Minister, he has to ensure that tourism and Arts is promoted around the country especially in areas like Chilubi that have great potential to be a tourist destination.