Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Forest 27 controversy

Share

File:President Edgar Chagwa Lungu Plants a Tree at The Grove of the Nation in the Jerusalem Forest on Tuesday 28-02-2017pg

Dear Editor,

Ref: Forest 27

President Lungu signed SI No 62 of 2017 degazetting of the Forest number 27.

Now, why would a President sign such a destructive SI, knowing very well that forest reserve 27 is the only forest remaining in Lusaka and a recharge area for chalimbana and Chongwe rivers?

All the Zambian Presidents, from Kenneth Kaunda, FTJ Chiluba, Levy Mwanawasa, Rupiah Banda, to Sata, resisted and protected this forest from land scavengers. Why is it that only President Lungu has seen it fit to degazatte the forest and have it shared as plots, disregarding the danger and risks involved in this careless decision?

The Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) wrote a letter to Lusaka Province Planning Authority and expressed serious concerns regarding this development since Forest Number 27 is a ground water recharge area and also feeds the river systems in the Chalimbana sub-catchment: “degazetting this forest for residential plots will threaten water resource availability as this may result in some water sources drying up. As such, WARMA is considering declaring Forest 27 as a Water Resource Protection Area as provided in section 29(1) and 93(1) of the WRM Act. We write to your office seeking confirmation if indeed Forest Number 27 is degazatted and if there are plans from your Planning Authority to develop this area as depicted in the attached map from Murray Anderson”.

If President Lungu has nothing to benefit from forest 27 and was misled by his minister of Lands, let him quickly rescind his decision to degazatte forest 27. It’s not too late.

Zambians let’s get our forest back. What these greed people are doing is unacceptable. Let’s demand that all the developments done so far in that forest reserve be stopped and start the process of getting that land back into a forest. All those who own plots in this forest must pay for the cost of restoring that land back into a forest reserve.

We have had enough with these people and their greedy ways! Just few years in power, they have turned our country into a crime scene.

By Concerned Zambian

38 COMMENTS

    • Did we know warn you about electing a broke kachasu drinker from a compound as a president????

      Ati he his humble….

    • Lazy Lungu can never touch PF Chief Campaign manager Jean the baptist Kapata …they know he is too weak that’s why the bought him a Gulfstream to do what he enjoys after years of frequenting taverns in Chamwama.

    • I will borrow that “crime scene”.
      Indeed last 2 years has been robbery in broad daylight, and ACC joins to say “… yes the land is stolen, but there is no evidence”, or “yes the land is robbed, but there is no owner because the owner, meanwhile will take the property and bring back to crime scene”.

    • I am really shocked that Lungu had the temerity to send officials from the President’s Office to a defamation case of a Doctor who allegedly Insulted him in Western province. Does this President know his priorities?

    • Sharon is back? Wow. I wonder where she had gone. Anyway, welcome back. Unfortunately things here haven’t changed much since you left. Corrupt lazy Lungu is still busy stealing our meager resources. I’m sure he’s glad to see you back to defend him no matter what. You’re a die-hard supporter of this clueless corrupt guy called Lungu. And no, I don’t support HH or UPND either.

  1. This kind of articles raise more questions than answers. The author should have presented geographical illustration as proof in support of his theory that Forest 27 is the only forest area remaining in Lusaka.
    When I look at Google maps, all I see is acres and acres of green woodlands surrounding Lusaka.

    • @Nine Chale The author has done his patriotic job.So much has been documented on this issue and all you have to do is read.Forest No.27 has purposely been preserved and has survived so long in an urban area because of it`s environmental benefits on the surrounding areas of Lusaka/Chongwe. You are only being obstructive by raising none issues.

    • Your post uses the words ” Forest remaining Lusaka” , and “acres and acres surrounding Lusaka”, thereby comfusing yourself already.

    • Dont mind this blogger …always trying to seem to sit on the fence…you even have the audasity to state that when I look at Google maps as if its a helicopter flying over the site in real time.

  2. The Vice-President,the Chief Justice,the Speaker of the NA and several ministers ,including the Minister of Lands herself, are all beneficiaries.All these people are aware that what was done is improper and corrupt and yet these are the people who head important State institutions that can address this and numerous injustices done to the Zambian people.Zambians have to wake up quickly to claim back whatever of their naturally blessed country is left.The PF are up to no good.Zambians must be aroused to fight this regime of selfish people.This is not about political party politics.This is about Zambia`s very survival and affects every Zambian.For all those who love their children and grand children defend your country now or you will have no country in just a few years.

  3. And some moron of a minister called Bowman will go to Chalimbana and Chongwe rivers wonder why they have dried up and suggest building a grossly inflated pipe line from Kafue River to Chongwe to replenish the rivers.
    Why is the old hen Veep and Chief Justice very quiet on this matter as they have been named in this cadal

    • How about ba Corrupt religious (God)fridah, who knows this is WRONG but because her belly comes first, Zambia is the a Christian nation (God)fridah is ndwii.

  4. Greetings! The president sign the statutory instrument (SI) based on the report submitted by technocrats in the Ministry of Lands. These and the minister responsible are culprits. Now that we know, we also need to show evidence that the land in question cannot be developed in the manner it is done now. However, there are other development planning, in physical sense, that could be brought into the equation rather than simply arguing that the land should remain a forest. Here, we practical solution. Kk, chiluba, mwanawasa and sata may have not degazetted the same land, to say they knew what they were doing may not be true. The opportunity and its challenges may not have arose. We saw zaf twin palm coming which attracted further development. The solution or intervention required should be…

    • @kk. That’s a more thoughtful and balanced comment unlike some of the partisan comments I have read on the subject which take us nowhere. It’s worth to note that the area around most of Lusaka is the source of Chongwe (and Chalimbana) River and it’s associated tributaries. Did we make a mistake to have the capitalt where it is?

    • If they can do this on gazetted land imagine what they can do on land Joe Public is bidding for …this is a corrupt, careless, reckless, lawless group of individuals we need to get rid of …all rotten to the core, in other countries you would hear of resignations but Zambia ..its oh we are Christian nation whatever that means!!

  5. Greed. It started with the poor widow and now it’s the country being robbed blind because all institutions are under their armpits! At this rate we will have no country left for those of us who are not PEPs. Let the be charged with treason when the time comes

    • At least under MMD some institutions like Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) were very influential in such matters…they would never have approved sale of ZAF Twin palm catchment area and NRDC aquifers to the Chinks.You dont even hear of ZEMA!!

  6. @kk. That’s a more thoughtful and balanced comment unlike some of the partisan comments I have read on the subject which take us nowhere. It’s worth to note that the area around most of Lusaka is the source of Chongwe (and Chalimbana) River and it’s associated tributaries. Did we make a mistake to have the capitalt where it is?

  7. The problem is that we expect so much from people who have nothing to offer except to serve their own interests. Last time top MMD officials that included the Vice President Levy Mwanawasa shared UNZA land we fought until it reverted to its rightful owner. Today UNZA hasn’t used this land but the powerful have somehow got it. Zambia is in the hands of the Mafia. Until we accept this fact we will continue to raise our BP for nothing. Sata just killed an elephant and left, now it’s for PF minions to get their share while the carcass is still big, Edgar is pretending not to notice. It’s free for all

  8. These are big issues that we must all rise. Unfortunately we have no opposition in Zambia

    Lungu has failed to give direction

    What Jean kapata did was setting exam and sitting for the same exam ramscient of PRIVATISATION

    • After stealing money from a Poor Pensioner Lungu vowed Never to be Poor again. Lungu is obsessed with making Money while he can. As they say “Make Hay while the Sun Shines”. Lungu is in a hurry to become a Multi Millionaire b4 he lives Power. That is why he is concerned with Power Retention in 2021. He needs to retain Power and Protect himself from Prosecution arising from Corrupt and Illegal Deals. Lungu has no National Interests at Heart. What matters to him is his Personal Interests and nothing else.

  9. EVERY DAY NEW SCANDAL!
    Bene Chawama are given instruments of power, & immediately ba sondoka.

  10. Only lungu the common theif allowed the desecration of the forest……instead of safe guarding it for future generations , the corrupt theif was swayed by money and greed….

    History will judge lungu harshly

  11. Please don’t insult people from the compounds. It is not a sin to live in compounds. They have as much right as every Zambian to rule this country. Moreover your political parties come to the compounds to hold their rallies and beg for votes not kumayadi where they stay. As for pf, they will steal anything. They will leave this country a skeleton. Who ever will come to rule after them will have nothing to steal.

  12. Anyone, as long as you are Zambian, has the right to rule this country. Even you the bloger can, unless you have too low self esteem. Dont discriminate. No two presidents will rule the same way. And no president anywhere will score 10 out of 10, never. So if you are in the habit of Scorning some leaders while idolising others, your brain needs reconditioning. Respect leaders and when an oportunity comes change them if they are non performing. Not ukubwata bwata day in day out.

  13. so the issue of 48 houses has finally died. we are now waiting for forest 27 story to die. this is my beloved country where we enjoy story telling before sleeping. my grand mother used to do this in the village untill you dose off and retire to bed. Reading these stories makes no effect. it’s only bill 10 where people have tried to act.

  14. The late professor Wangari Mathai of Kenya, a noble peace prize winner, battled the President Moi regime over the Karura forest, a Greenbelt in Nairobi city. She triumphed and the beautiful forest still stands to this day. Therefore civil society could lobby government if necessary.

  15. Morality seem to have been eroded in our leadership. God bless mother Zambia. Cry for beloved country please

  16. That is the tragedy of electing poverty-stricken persons to public office! The first thing they do is to enrich self through “Ubomba Mwibala!”
    No wonder Chongwe has dried up!
    Do our leaders understand why bazungu designated Forest reserves?
    Greedy Army Worms!

  17. A few individuals are plundering the country’s resources with impunity and as usual Zambians are watching. If this is what we are known for as peaceful people then we are simply I.D.I.O.T.S. This can’t happen in civilized societies. People are busy stealing and all we can do is to debate. 48 houses without the owner. Politicians sharing Land on the watershed area. We are quite. Kaya mwandini !!!!!!!

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading