PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu is this Wednesday morning expected to officially open the much awaited Lusaka National Park to the public.
President Lungu is also expected to unveil the memorial monument at the facility. The monument is a tribute to wildlife police officer (WPOs, village scouts, as well as the men and women who have lost their life during the course of duty.
According to the programme for the event that was released by Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) public relations officer Sakabilo Kalembwe said the president will then proceed to witness the release of some wildlife from the holding pen thereafter he will proceed to the rhino holding pen.
The Lusaka national park is a smallest protected area in Zambia and newest park to be established and was gazetted in 2011.
The sanctuary becomes Zambia’s 21st and smallest protected areas. The opening of the park is as a result of a project that started in the early 1990s and the government through ZAWA and its cooperating partners have invested a substantial amount of money into the project that is now ready for the public.
The facility is located about 30 kilometres south-east of Lusaka central business district and has seen the 33 kilometre park perimeter being fenced off to keep animals within the park and prevent encroachment from neighbouring communities.
The park has water points for animals constructed and are supplied with water from 15 boreholes that have been sunk around the park.
ZAWA has spent over K5 million to put up various infrastructures in place before the park officially opens.
The expenditure involved animal translocation, purchase of heavy equipment, grading of access and loop roads, drilling of boreholes and water reticulation system.
Mr Kalembwe said the park would have activities like camping, walking safaris and bicycle riding, among others.
There were problems in that area where the park is located, among them was major illegal quarrying leading to serious environmental degradation.
Since the formation of the park, the catchment area of the 6,700 hectares has changed from a bare land to a thicket with proper ground water and soon to be an economic spinner that would contribute to the gross domestic product through tourism.
And ZAWA has introduced some exotic wildlife species from South Africa in Blesbok – a large antelope species with features and stunning horn formation and Nyala which is similar to common impala.
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.
Fantastico!!!!
Im hoping EL will use this opportunity to rescind the decision on the lifting of the ban on big cat trophy hunting.
THAT WILL BE SMART OF HIM. HE WILL GAIN BACK SOME DEGREE OF RESPECT FROM ZAMBIANS.
In a country where the economy is falling apart and being down grades a president goes to open a Zoo
Its says alot about the quality of the president and the people he leads.
He basically either has nothing to do or has no clue of whats going on.
I think this country has gone to the Dogs
In a country were the economy is falling apart and being down graded a president goes to open a Zoo
Its says a lot about the quality of the president and the people he leads.
He basically either has nothing to do or has no clue of whats going on.
I think this country has gone to the Dogs
I also hope he does just that.
There is no problem with the hunting of Lions and Leopards. That is part of conservation. Why do you people who are not experts in certain fields talk too much more than the people who know the stuff. We know that even if we hunt 100 lions and 200 leopards, we would still have enough lions and leopards left for you to see. That is part of cropping/harvesting. Some of these lions and leopards cause human-animal conflicts. So it’s better to hunt them and keep their numbers to manageable levels.
There are people with no clean drinking water in Zambia, yet you are giving good water to animals?
I hope all the animals get poached! Preserve people’s lives not animals!
Delegation of this function to the Minister in charge of tourism would have been appropriate.
by the way who is incharge of mundawanga?munda has failed you to run now you think you can undertake this project ijooo
Silence is golden. It would have been better if you had kept quiet. Mundawanga is not under GRZ. It is in private hands. How do you rush to put blame on government when you don’t even know what you are talking about. Chillax blulu. Tekanya mune speed kills. Hahaha
What is the job description of presidents in Africa?
1. Opening malls
2. Launching road projects
3. Opening stadia
4. Speaking at rallies
5. Receiving defectors from other parties
6. Attending AU meetings
7. Attending regional meetings
8. Receiving Chinese investors
9. Chairing Cabinet meetings
10. Authorising the transferring of sick friends, relatives and party cadres to foreign hospitals.
11. Attending funerals of ministers and party cadres.
12. Watching the national soccer team in action
13. Being guest of honour at certain weddings
14. Commissioning military officers at passout parades.
** There is hardly any time to plan for the country’s development. That is Africa for you.
I am reliably informed that during the occasion, some Sables, kudus, blue wildebeests, waterbucks and Pukus will announce their defection to the PF and endorse him for 2016.
You made my day. Will they also enact the animal driven constitution?
I wondered why there was so much heavy police presence on Leopards Hill Road this morning!
SO THE WHOLE PRESIDENCY HAS RESORTED TO KANGAROO TYPE OF WORKING AND YET THE ECONOMY IS SHRINKING. I WONDER WHERE WE ARE GOING.JEAN KAPATA COULD HAVE DONE THAT WORK.AT LAST SOMEONE WILL START COMMISSIONING FILLING STATIONS.WATCH THIS SPACE
You have a skewed view of the work a President must do.
Clearly, you are a decided critic of every government official.
Would you like to write a job description for the President, and the rest of the ministerial team, and get consensus from your fellow state critics?
Heads of government are always doing these sort of things, and less in terms of economic value and social motivation.
Ndamanihia.
I can see a lot of contradiction in his speech today; he will talk about wildlife conservation and its importance…completely forgetting that he has lifted the ban on trophy-hunting our already depleted big cat population. When other countries in the world in Africa and South America have completely banned hunting for sport and also countries like Australia and some US states have banned importation of trophies.
He will completely ignore the above like he does with corruption likened to a man nursing a heavy hangover oblivious to his mischief the night before.
Zambians wake up and lets elect leaders with vision not this lazy bum!!
There is no problem with the hunting of Lions and Leopards. That is part of conservation. Why do you people who are not experts in certain fields talk too much more than the people who know the stuff. We know that even if we hunt 100 lions and 200 leopards, we would still have enough lions and leopards left for you to see. That is part of cropping/harvesting. Some of these lions and leopards cause human-animal conflicts. So it’s better to hunt them and keep their numbers to manageable levels.
It is not about following what South Africa or Australia is doing. We have the animals and killing these animals when their number rise to a certain level is part of conservation. How dull are you people not to understand these things
BTW you are the lazy bum who does nothing talking ill of…
Good to hear that the park is finally going to open. But was it not last month or so when we were told that the president of Ghana was going to open it. PF are full of pronouncements which don’t materialise. so what happened to the president of Ghana’s plans? Did he down grade Zambia like Moody’s have done on our economy? Hope standards will be maintained at the park otherwise people will be using any available space for toilet or throwing litter.
Just herbivores?? What about the carnivores??
Kambwili will be a beauty to watch in the zoo! Finally the chap will be of meaningful ese waaaah!
Sure, sure, the entire President of Zambia going to open a Zoo. Even if you are campaigning please do it with a heart for Zambia, look at all those cars, govt officals that followed you. Pse i beg you, feel for us
WHATEVER THE COMMENTS AGAINST EL OPENING THIS PARK, I THINK THE PARK IDEA IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE. IT WILL MAKE MONEY AND ATTRACT MILLION TOURIST- LOCAL AND FOREIGN PER YEAR LIKE KRUGAR PARK DOES. LIVE ANIMALS ARE IMPORTANT TO ZAMBIA THAN DEAD ANIMALS THEREFORE DESERVE THE PRESIDENT’S BLESSING. MY HUMBLE APPEAL TO OUR PRESIDENT IS THAT, PLEASE, REVERSE THAT AN THOUGHT-THROUGH DECISION BY ONE UNTHINKING MINISTER TO START SLAUGHTERING CATS. AND MAKE SURE THAT THE CHEMBE BIRD SANCTUARY IS ALSO WELL DESIGNED AND BECOMES ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL MONUMENT. BUT, LT WHERE IS EVEN ONE PICTURE OF THIS PARK. THIS STUPID REPORTING YA PA ZAMBIA. MOST PEOPLE READING THIS ARE NOT IN LUSAKA OR ZAMBIA BUT ABROAD AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE AT LEAST A HINT OF THIS PARK.
Is he not going to open the bar also?
GUYS, ANYONE IN ZAMBIA WITH PICTURES OF THE NEW LUSAKA NATIONAL PARK PLEASE POST THEM ONLINE SO THAT WE CAN SEE INSTEAD OF JUST READ TEXT FROM NEWS MEDIAS IN ZAMBIA.
You pipo saying it will bring money that park is crap and the president should be ashamed to go open something that look like that has a park he was suppose to fire some pipo at the ministry of tourism for exploiting resources meant for that park,it looks dead wait two years from now,you hear it is closed and land is sold and the animals are dead or sold, even my grandparents place for keeping cows in the village looks nice than that place