Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata says the ministry will soon start regulating all air strips in national parks.
Mrs. Kapata says this is aimed at monitoring and regulating people visiting the games parks.
This move follows the recent increase in illegal poaching.
And Mrs. Kapata, who is also Mandevu Member of Parliament, says the ministry is contemplating on making illegal poaching a non billable offence.
Mrs. Kapata says once this is done, it will help stop the vice.
She has called on all Zambians to report any suspicious activities in game areas to the nearest police station.
Mrs. Kapata also warned that anyone found wanting will face the law.
Locking the barn doors after horses have run away?
By the way, how “licencing” will control movement in airspace?
Installing “Dora’s” radars?
Is it because of the South Africans you caught recently? we are too late mama this poaching in airstrips started a long time ago. The issue of banning the airstrips inside the parks was serious under Masebo but just after she left the Ministry everything went in vain. Come to South Luangwa National Park and witness yourself mama Kapata twapapata!!!!.
Governments surprise me so all this time there has been no regulation of airstrips ??? If Angola comes again ans says arms are being airlifted from ZM into their country on what basis will you even deny that if you have no command of your Air space? Small wonder some foreigner had been “illegally” operating a strip in Luangwa without any licenses and authorisation and no one knows what the strip was intended for.
There are alot of airstrips in lwangwa valley.The Zaf,Army Zawa and you govt officials are sleeping.some pipo who works in parks are threteaned to be killed when they report by some govt officials.It’s so shameful to destroy animals and nuture like this.God gave us these resources but coz of corruption u’ve killed the all future generations.Yesterday we heard that by 2050 all tree will be cut.I’ve been wondering what the govt is doing about planting new trees.It seems africans can’t think about the future but about present.so shameful ba minister.All animals in south lwangwa have been smuggled.Where are u destroying the country Zambians?.Civil servants in Zambia have destroyed mother Zambia.All they want is money without work.please twapapata can we be patriotic .Lions in south…
…here we go again..last year Ms Masebo this year Mrs Kapata all singing the same song…….masebo was fired for her actions…………….
Pleas advertise ministerial positions to be run by professionals, these illiterates that the equally illitrate electorate vote in are all usless. They do not understand the global village and the interactions we are part of. All they know is forigne travel at the pipos expense.
Measbo warned us 4 years ago but its then GBM Defence who was annoyed with her for disclosing national security flaws….image just how many lions and other animals have been stolen since that time.
These people are incapable to rule this is the selfsame thing that is going to happen to big cats they will all disappear….we will have to take a holiday to RSA to some Boer’s ranch to see them….the very animals stolen from us.
” making illegal poaching a non billable offence.”
Is this really the calibre of our Ministers? So poaching was legal before? And free of charge so there were no bills to pay?
Such incompetence, ignorance, and plain stupidity is how PF runs the Government?
Trade in wildlife is a growth industry. Properly managed it can provide jobs and alleviate poverty, but these PFools are too dull to see the opportunity. And their incompetence has wasted all the money those dead animals could have brought in.
Well,indeed let us go and pray.. .. Oooh God! Indeed God is there for with this reckless way of running state affairs one wonders what is left of our wildlife and other criticla natural resources!! So all along these airstrips were not monitored and just like we do not monitor the operations of lodges,game ranches,mineral prospecting companies etc. We are in real trouble! Where is even the security of the country? Where is the Office of the Preseident,ZAF,ZAWA??
Institutions like Tourism, the much talked about National Airlines project, ZRA (revenue collections), Immigration, Zambia Bureau of Standards and other quasi-Government institutions except of course, those that border on the Security of the State like; Police/OP, Army/Air-force and even ZNS, should be left to run by friendly independent European reputable companies from the UK, German or even Israel for at least 5 years as a start. This way I feel they would run extremely effective and even train Zambians in various skills and I tell you, these institutions in the long run will be corrupt free….
For instance, why don’t Departments like Anti Corruption, Drug Enforcement, Road Traffic and Vehicle Licensing Commissions and many more, engage a “Police Dept” within themselves and…
…mount road blocks amongst their own officers and see what happens?
What? So our air strips were not regulated? I am utterly shocked to learn this. No wonder we have been a soft target by international criminals in wildlife. Bane there are some services which governments provides and are fundamental to the security of the country and its resources, regardless of the cost incurred. I think protecting our natural resources in national parks and game management areas is one of them. Let us be serious this is the future of our children that we are jeopardising here.
Jean Kapata is the wrong person to be managing tourism in Zambia. Go on the ZAWA Facebook page and see the valuable contributions pouring in. Jean Kapata and Steven Mwansa cannot even come close to the suggestions and recommendations being pointed out by educated Zambian’s with degrees. If only we can hire them to manage this sector is when tourism will flourish in Zambia. I encourage all Zambian’s to join the ZAWA Facebook page and make valuable contributions. This is how we will move forward and hold those managing this sector accountable for ill practices.