Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has described as heartbreaking, the latest report which has exposed the Mukula smuggling cartel.
Mr Hichilema said the Mukula smuggling scandal report released by the Washington DC based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), implicating President Edgar Lungu, his daughter Tasila, Justice Minister Given Lubinda, and his Lands counterpart Jean Kapata, says everything that people need to know about the sustained push by the government to sell ZAFFICO.
Mr Hichilema said the ZAFFICO sale issue was always about smuggling Mukula and the mineral deposits under ZAFFICO land and that now the scam has been exposed by experts.
“What we have been warning people about in the past, has today been revealed in detail and brought to the fore,” Mr Hichilema said
“What we read in this report is exactly what we already knew about this Mukula smuggling scam, but the testimonies from the government officials, smugglers and their Chinese handlers contained in the circulating video are staggering and heartbreaking accounts of recklessness and criminal impunity by people who have been entrusted to govern our country.”
He added, “Zambians; wake up now and see this regime for what it truly is, a Government of thieves. It’s a syndicate of institutionalized criminals hellbent on stripping national resources to the core. This needs to stop forthwith,” Mr Hichilema said.
A new report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) dubbed Mukula Cartel has exposed how associates connected to President Lungu, including his daughter Tasila, onetime resident of the United States of America, are reportedly involved in the plunder of valuable, increasingly scarce, mukula rosewood trees; and hence the destruction of Zambia’s vulnerable forests.
The investigation shows that despite public pledges to end the illegal mukula trade, several politicians are repeatedly named as key actors in an influential timber trafficking network that bypasses existing national bans on mukula harvest and export.
The report raises serious concern about implementation of the recent international protection granted to the threatened mukula tree by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Concerned by a rapid decline of rosewood trees commonly called Mukula in central and southern Africa, the 183 CITES-member governments agreed at the 18th Conference of the Parties to include the species on Appendix II in order to regulate its international trade and protect it from extinction.
The binding international measure took effect on November 26th, 2019.
Meanwhile, EIA undercover investigators documented how the state-owned company Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation Limited (ZAFFICO) is secretly used by well-connected Zambian and Chinese business operatives as a cover to export thousands of freshly cut mukula logs. This illegal trade flourishes in spite of bans on the harvest, transport, and export of mukula.
According to EIA’s findings, senior officials including the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Jean Kapata, help traffickers benefit from the ZAFFICO scheme.
Investigators also found that the illicit timber networks – described by one trafficker as a “cartel” – are reportedly connected to President Lungu and include his daughter Tasila, Senior Chief Nkula Kafula Musungu II, and Justice Minister Given Lubinda.
According to revelations made to EIA, the high-level corruption takes many forms – including, for example, US$40,000 worth of outfits allegedly “donated” by a powerful Chinese trafficker to the Zambian president for his re-election campaign.
Sources also highlighted how special permits to export mukula logs have been commonly traded in exchange for votes. A trafficker further explained to EIA investigators that he manages his clandestine operations in “joint venture” with the ruling party PF’s central committee.
EIA estimates that over 50 40-foot containers of mukula logs have been illegally exported each month from June 2017 to May 2019; their transit and export allowed as a result of an estimated total of $7.5 million in bribes and informal fees paid annually, as explained by traffickers.
The money lost to the illegal mukula trade could have been spent on public services that benefit the lives of Zambians; instead the loss of these trees threatens the livelihoods of local communities.
Lisa Handy, Director of Forest Campaigns at EIA-US, said: “If not dismantled, the mukula cartel has the power to derail the international protection granted to these rare African trees. This will result in a continued assault against fragile forests and rural communities.”
The mukula cartel’s operations are driven by international demand almost exclusively from China. Handy adds: “China has a unique opportunity to stop rosewood trafficking networks and to protect the world’s threatened forests by prohibiting import of illegal timber.”
EIA recommends that Zambia suspends the trade of mukula using a zero-export quota until illicit trafficking networks are dismantled, and the requisite for trading under CITES – including Non-Detriment Finding (NDF) and Legal Acquisition Finding (LAF) – are met and shared publicly. It is essential that Zambia complies with the new CITES rules regarding the mukula trade, or the tree will simply cease to exist.
This is rubbish and false, HH should tell the nation on 48 houses.
The works of Foote the ambassador
The report is genuine but also HH just as bad as bandit Lungu…talk of the pot calling the kettle black…all you Politicians are bandits and HH you are also a bandit
Panama Papers vs Mukula Cartel….same theft of our resources so HH should just shut up…Lungu Bandit, HH Bandit period
So now we will be getting statements and analysis and the story will eventually die with no prosecution…just blah blah blah whilst bandit Lungu will still be in power and even beyond 2021….Thats African politics for you
Environmental Investigations Agency is just an NGO…its not part of the US government and if you read the report you can tell from the language used it was authored by a Zambian….not credible agency…just a small NGO so don’t link the US government to this nonsense….for at once i believed not anymore…i just walked by their office s here in Washington DC….not as i imagined…their office even looks dilapidated….dont believe anything you read and only believe half of what you see
Dont get too excited….the so called EIA has no physical address in the USA….i mistook it for Energy Information Administration which is part of the US government…so the report is just fake and imaginary….The so called Environmental Investigation Agency is just an broke NGO which survives on donations….so dont be fooled as its not even known by the US government….just a group of broke environmentalists working from their laptops
Hichilema is another disaster in waiting
The best way to estimate these illegal imports by PF is checking with Chinese customs how much Mukula has been checked in against our customs. Anyway this evidence will not go away even in 10 years time it will be cross-checked.
HAGURIZA HAZIKO is heartbreaking.
PANAMA thief trying to deflect the news!!
Your stupdity, political immaturity and incomptence is heartbreaking. Under 5
Fake news report published by Kainde and his gayism supporters. Trying to make the country ungovernable when you offer no alternative leadership. Koswe!
Come 2021 we’ll retire you and Chief Mukuni to Livingstone bridge where you can take turns pooping your pants on the bungee. lmbeciles!
So the people in the video are fake ?
Hehehehehe…,,
That’s all these blind cadres are good at insults, you can not expect less from children raised in a busy brothel
Mapatizya Formula is Heartbreaking.
Give us your response to Foote’s temper tantrums.
Will that put food on the table? Pls be mature in your debates!
Nkani izibika!
No wonder some Mukula PS could boast of buying a farm bush for USD $ 2 Million Cash and the Muzungu owner could not believe his luck!
Trust the Chinese at your own risk. They only care about money and themselves and to them, the end justifies the means. They are always ready to use unethical tactics to get what they want no matter how small! Zambians need to be reminded how it was the Chinese who were supplying Pangas during the Rwandan Genocide! They will happily supply what you want even if it is for killing your selves! Zambians have just heard about Mukula. Wait and hear how your leaders have also shared wild animals also. No wonder Chief Mburuma is crying for mining in the Lower Zambezi because our parks have been ransacked! Your current and former leaders now have…
The Chinese supplied stuff for Rwanda? Be serious.
Also, the Chinese are the best for investment, they tell you truthfully, we want your resources with no conditions unlike the western powers.
The problem is our leaders who, instead of doing the responsible thing, end up stealing since they Chinese won’t bother them.
See how the Chinese have been tamed in Ghana and in SA, they follow rules.
So this explains why Tasila has been busy fencing off some forest.These people are really bad for this country.They are a cancer that needs to be chopped off ASAP!
Oval headed twit!!!
No amount of insults will distract from the thieving we are witnessing
You can try but people are focused on scandal after scandal
But Milenge still voted for PF regardless of your cr@p you Id!ots spew daily. I would worry about your approach coz 2021 looks bleak….
Zebras, Antelopes, Giraffes etc at their farms! Ask Auntie Dizzy who was posing with her wild animals at her ranch wishing father Mukula a Happy Birthday in a drunken state. How can we have leaders whose primary goal is to share National resources for private benefit? What else have they stolen that Zambians are not yet aware of? The best way to know how many chickens are left is to get rid of the Fox first then the whole truth will come out. CIA will need to come on board and help with undercover investigations! Foote please help us!
A government of thieves! What is sad and unfortunate is how Zambians votes for these PF thieves.
HH will NEVER be elected in Zambia! In 2021 he is going to the MUSEUM! Watch this space!
HH plz stop embarrassing your self by commenting on everything without proper verification…! Where is the 48 houses issue you raised? Now mukula…!!?? No wonder even your blind followers believe whatever they read on social media. Stop being a cadre…!!!
It’s people like you who are bringing the economy down coz you support anything as long as you paid
The 48 houses ,…..PF and lungu found some names of people that have no faces , no one knows them and will never know them….
The Mukula Daughter who is busy fencing off forests for unhindered Mukula harvesting is the owner of those houses.
You don’t have to be a Rocket scientist to figure this out!
Ever noticed the alleged owners are indeed faceless like Spaka said.
A case now dying a natural death like all P.F scandals, Zescogate, Wheelbarrowgate, Tollgate gate, Eswat1nigate, could go on for the whole week!
Please state your position on homosexuality. We are waiting for you.
Why has homosexuality suddenly become such an important subject especially among those accused of being THIEVES and their supporters? Ploy. Yesterday there were gun shots by bandits in our neighbourhood. For me and my family, we fear thieves more than some homo we have never encountered and who has never bothered us.
No homo will distract us from the looting by lungu and company going on
Futile pathetic attempt to distract us…..we can see, we can hear….more pleas
Why dont you state your position dimwit. HH has repeatedly stated his position on this matter. If only you could learn to read and listen.
Sin is a sin. Homosexuality, theft, corruption, Adultery are all sins before the Lord. It doesn’t matter what HH says about Homosexuality. However, hating them will not solve Zambia’s problems including mukula theft.
Most of you pf cadres have to realize that the issue of Homosexuality is not the cause of Zambia’s economic problems, it is the incompetent thieves in govt who have made Zambia ibala where they can say Uwamwibala alya mwibala
HH has Three Mansions and supports Sex HAGAINST the H-ORDER of NATURE. Will be in Livingstone MUSEUM in 2021.
He stated that already unless you are gay and want to know your future
HH will explain one day why him and his Gay/masonist friends have put up this vicious campaign to damage the image of this country. Never before did Zambia have such a senseless opposition. Zambia is watching you.
Was it hh who built 48 houses without ownership , was it hh who bought 48 gonga fire trucks for 48 million, was it Hh’s wife who spent 1 million going to collect antique fire trucks worth $5,000 ?
Is it hh who has borrowed $17 billion yet there are no jobs
Is it Hh who was commissioning alternative power plants every month yet we still have 18 hrs load shedding??
Now you can not distract people with the homosexual stories, deal with this issue head-on not insults!!
Zambia has always been fine until UNDER FIVE and his TRIBO H-ORGANISATION came.
The only time PF dimwits come out in full force is when it’s time to character assassinate HH. Thats as far as their tuma tiny brains go. Talk of the Kwacha, vili ndwii, economy, vili ndwii, depleted treasury, vili ndwii, load-shedding, vili ndwii, HH, yayaya, trying to outdo each other like their fellow m0r0n Sunday Chanda. Mwaumfwako insoni mwefipuba mwe.
Who bewitched us kanshi why do we believe anything that involves a white skin as plain truth I was watching prime tv yesterday non of this story was aired ,I hope these are not the same people planning to come and plunder after regime change.Hope they are not the financiers of the same.
Am sorry folks to differ with most sentiments expressed in the light of the said report. The report is speculative. If it were not so, the EIA – US would have sought action against the said cartel without any fear or restraint.
Because of their own doubts about the veracity of their findings, they are a bit careful not to over commit to what they were ‘told’.,
May be the government should come clear not by simply dismissing the report as a smear campaign, but seek either an apology from the EIA-US or challenge them through legal provisions.
A lot of harm has been done by this report which brings our Presidency into disrepute.
With KZ and his corruption, lungu does not need any help brining disrepute to the presidency
There we go again.
THE P.F CADRE WHO NEVER USES THEIR BRAIN, BUT THE BELLY & GLUTEUS MAXIMUS TO REASON!
Ba Elarm Chalusa ati “this will bring the Presidency into disrepute”
Elarm, is there a brain in that Cadre cranium of yours???
J0na being a visionless crooked Lawyer, who stole from a poor Widow, has an unrepentant Brute in K@!zer advising him, moves about State functions with a known Dr.ug peddler V.al.d.e.n, never fires Corrupt mates like Kit0tela, & pays 2turdy Mwale lots of taxpayers cash in U$ Dollars for work not done, IS WHAT BRINGS DISREPUTE TO THE PRESIDENCY.
Please for once use your Brain, & NOT your maat@ko to reason & analyse issues!
We know that the WEST has been pushing hard for Regime Change what is known as ENHANCING DEVELOPMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC AGENDA.HH is one the oldest puppet of this regime change .org.Since the death of his father (Mazoka)and prior.Not long ago,China – Zambia economic bilateral cooperation itched the west to the point of employing headlines on Bloomberg tabloid,CA and other blogs to propel heavy political propaganda.They published that ZESCO,ZNBC,ZAFFICO and NRDC were sold to the contrast of their political” lies.”This has stood to be grand falsehoods by the west and their political party in dealing with them,the UPND.
This western propaganda has particularly destroyed African democracy by clearly fighting the Communist countries over political ideology.Now the west have put up an agenda of…
Naimwe , what regime change , what has Zambia got that the west needs ? China has taken everything
The mugabe nut jobs are appearing, blaming the west for their own corruption and looting
I would say it is embarrassing but not surprising. We have known of this for many years and when we raised this issue, we were called hateful. Now we all have watched first hand evidence showing your president, his khoi khoi looking daughter and lubinda as being the ring leaders in this illegal and corrupt trade. While you zambian sleep in darkness and hunger, a few rats are stealing your resources and in fact contributing to climate change which has led to power deficits. When we called for lungus impeachment we were called names. Now tell me is it tenable for a president accused of corruption to continue in his position? How can any investors local and international have any confidence in a country ruled by a corrupt rat?
And for your own information ba UPND don’t think that ECL administration is dull as you keep on insulting him.He knows very well about this world politics.He understand the political magnitude of this country better than you think.Just that he can’t talk to you publicly is restricted by virtue of his position.HH is backed by the west at grand scale and PF is also backed by the communist at its grand scale.And its a serious battle.We know the communist doesn’t talk no matter how provocative they are in but the west do talk. The west uses CSOs,NGOs etc as their mouth pieces but not the Communist.This dangerous senescent for indigenous countries .So Zambian Political field is not a small issue as you take it imwe ba UPND.China has invested a lot in this country and they cannot make a…
Mr.P. I don’t know how old you are but your analysis lacks the benefit of history and as such lacks coherence and of course ends up with illogical conclusions. Try more research.
As if Zambia is oil rich ,
a conspiracy nut job this one.
Is the Chinese have invested so much and Zambia is so important , let them save the Kwacha and provide jobs then,
Ba Mr P, ati Zambia is backed by Communists.
There’s nothing Communist about these Thieving P.F Rats & the Chinese “Communist party” is no longer Communist in the sense of the word, BUT Market orientated, & will trade with anyone, especially dull governments like J0nas, that will flog their valuable resources for a cheap corrupt bung!
P.F are basically Campagne Socialists, or Gucci Guerrillas, people who profess to have the interests of the poor @ heart, whilst having A VORACIOUS APPETITE FOR ALL THINGS CAPITALIST!!
Just who do you think you are kidding?
Like Dimba said go & do some more reading, & research, & cure some of the residual ignorance in your head.
P.F IS NOT PRO POOR, BUT PRO OWN BELLY!
@ Mr P, I appreciate that you mention that the president is not oblivious to what is going on.
But for the battle between the west and china, you can well be sure that the west will come out tops-if at all that battle does exist as you allege.
The west has an appealing governance system that is at face value – transparent and appealing. But, let me hasten to say, in the past, American concern or influence hasn’t been prominent.
Should they come in with all guns blazing, this regime won’t last. Ask the Turkish on what happened to their lira currency when Trump imposed sanctions on them.
China is developing Zambia and someone is not happy but HAZALUZA HAGAIN! My foot!
Coming from ba trible HH, selective justice.
Unfortunately, trible HH is not the option that we are looking for to save us from PF. This guy is equally bad if not worse. And the worst thing about him dates back to Sejani in 2006, time for our trible to rule, which put him in power and for which he has never apologised. Meaning it remains his main agenda regardless of what he says in and to the public. Double tongued like his counterpart.
“SAKWIBA you are not Tonga, and only a TONGA can be president of UPND,” SeJAni. UPND tribo politics and Mapatizya Formula – a terrorist H-organisation.
We want change for Zambia but not a bad change or for the worse. Both are simply not suitable leaders for our country. Similar characteristics of wanting power.
Any change is better that lungu
Instead of showing concern and doing their homework to verify the report, PF bootlickers on this forum are just quick to unleash shameless irrational attacks on HH. He didn’t write the report but he did warn about what was going on in relation to the Mukula and Zaffico months ago. But you choose to ignore this and bury your brainless heads in the sand.
The biggest enemies of Zambia’s progress are people keeping these politicians in power. The heartless beneficiaries of the crumbs that fall from the PF’s loot as they transverse it from one end of the country to another or abroad.
This report links no-one – no bank accounts etc. Actually, you could present this same report substituted with different names. Absolutely NO facts in this report.
However, a new and dangerous low by UPND. This party is definitely not good for the country.
No…wait, …..the real heartbreak is election day results 2021.
The report is just fantasy stories being woven into propaganda. It’s too fantastic to be true!
These PF cadres will blame HH for everything from Mukula, 48 Houses, Forest 27, Luangwa mining, to even Kaiza Zulu madness.
Very soon fuel prices will go north and you will hear them. Ati HH caused international fuel prices to rise.
PF=corruption=poverty.
These thieving clowns must be held to account! Any president worth his salt and voted into office to take care of national resources on behalf of the citizens and goes on to steal from the people is not worthy of that office. These plunderers must see the inside of Chimbolaila or Mukobeko, that’s where they belong!
Quite frankly I find that report scandalous to say the least. How could a mere NGO go to such length as to implicate the Head of State in such a manner? As it is, EIA – US played the prosecutor and judge with our leaders convicted in the EIA – US verdict which is now PUBLIC. knowledge.
I remember former Botswana President Festus Mogae’s comment that Western Governments would rather believe an NGO than an African Government – that was over a case involving intended displacement of some indigenous people from their ancestral home to pave way for development. So as it stands, the EIA report is fact for some observers. What ever amount of truth is in it, we remain to see.
We the citizens should stand up to such insolence. It’s really not about ECL. Nor Jean Kapapa. But it’s about…
MR, HICHLEMA, STEALING PRIVATIZATION MONEY IS EVEN MORE HEART-BREAKING BECAUSE AS THE ZSIC RETIREE HAS PUT IT TO YOU FAKE PRESIDENT, A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS IN NDOLA DIED FROM DEPRESSION, MARRIAGES BROKE DOWN, CHILDREN FAILED TO OR STOPPED GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU WERE PART OF THE TEAM THAT RIPPED THIS COUNTRY APART BY SELLING AND CLOSING DOWN REFINED OIL PRODUCTS (ROP), UBZ, NIEC STORES, MWAISENI, ZCBC, CONTRACT HAULAGE, ZAMBIA STEEL, ETC AND THE BIGGEST OF THEM ALL, THE ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES (ZCCM) THE BACK-BONE OF ZAMBIA’S ECONOMY! WITH CHILUBA AND ADVISORS FROM IMF YOU TOLD ZAMBIANS THAT PRIVATIZATION WAS BEST FOR ZAMBIA AS THOSE COMPANIES WERE “LOSS-MAKING”! A BIG LIE! THE LIE HAS HAUNTED ALL THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF LIVES THAT FOLLOWED! GO TO THE…
Boyi Kainde just wait for 2021 and see if these fake stories you are creating about others will stand in voting booths and vote for you in northern, luapula, eastern, muchinga,not to mention copperbelt and lusaka provinces where people are enlightened and know everything about your tribalism and sheer hatred for bembas and easterners.
YES, HH IS EVEN TRYING TO LEARN TO SPEAK BEMBA THINKING THATS WHEN HE WILL WIN IN 2021. ZERO BA HH! IF YOU LIKED BEMBA YOU WOULD NOT CHASED PATRICK CHISANGA AND ROBERT SICHINGA FROM YOUR PERSONAL KANTEMA, UPND. LOOK AT YOUR SHADOW CABINET, FULL OF TONGAS. BUT TONGA IS SPOKEN IN ONE-TENTH OF THE COUNTRY AND YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN WITH THAT SMALL SUPPORT FROM TONGAS. JUST ACCEPT TO RULED ESPECIALLY THAT YOU HAVE NO LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, AND YOUR CROOKED BACK-GROUND. HAKAIVOTELA HUMWINE!