North-Western Province Permanent Secretary Willies Mangimela has expressed worry over the indiscriminate and illegal harvesting of rosewood timber in Manyinga and Kabompo districts.
Mr Mangimela said there is need to protect the specie from being depleted by providing checks and balance with people holding timber concession licenses so as to ensure compliance.
The Permanent Secretary said this when he called on district Commissioner Geoftey Malati and Town Council Secretary Ketty Mukonde in Manyinga today.
“These two districts Manyinga and Kabompo are the main areas of concern in timber harvesting. God has blessed these districts with rosewood timber which we need to protect from depleting,” he said.
Mr Mangimela said government is losing huge sums of revenue due to the increasing activities of illegal timber harvesting and production in the province.
“If we are not careful and protect the timber, we are going to be in trouble as a province, these water bodies and the favourable rainfall we boast of will be a thing of the past because the climate will change,” he said.
Mr Mangimela said he received reports of increased indiscriminate cutting of trees in the two districts
Manyinga District Commissioner Geofrey Malaiti said the number of timber dealers have increased in the district much of whom do not have concession licenses.
“It seems most of the areas where rosewood timber is found is depleting. We really need help from department of forestry to investigate this matter, there are a lot of timber processing plants that have been set up but we do not know whether they have licenses” Mr Malayiti said.
And Town Council Secretary Ketty Mukonde said the department of Forestry need to strengthen measures to curb illegal cutting of trees
“With timber it is our cry as a district. I think the measures put in place are not adequate and effective here in Manyinga because all sizes of trees are being cut all over,”Ms Mukonde said.
Principle Forestry Officer Maxwel Phiri has warned people engaging in harvesting timber without concession licenses that the law will deal with them.
“In Manyinga government receives a lot of money as non-tax revenue through timber concession so we expect the timber concession holders to operate within their licenses, we have had reports of some harvesting timber illegally,” he said
He has urged timber processing plants to add value to the product and not just transport it outside the province as raw material and create more jobs for the local people.
I have held meetings with various ministerial officials over this. We are in the process of formulating a very robust regulatory framework to curb this terrible activity.
The cartel has already been named. Everyone knows who the smugglerd are. China confirmed they import 100 million USD worth of mukula every year. Yet our government say we export less than 1 million USD.
I ask Miss Kapita, Tasila, Lubinda, Chitotela and all those named to be associated with this brutal plunder of resources that their day of reckoning is coming.
You think KK or those before you were dull to have left these trees alone?
Did you ever see KK, or those before you, relocating wildlife? Or starting mining in lower Zambezi? Or “giving” away Gold mining rights? Or allocating themselves land in reserve forests?
But with your grade 9 certificates, you think you know it all. Look what mess you have created.
Another tree species joining Mukula scandals.
When rules appear lax, unscrupulous individuals actively seek to abuse them. Stern deterrent measures need putting in place.
Why are we so greedy in this country kansi Mwa wantu? I can assure you if some foreigners start paying for a$$holes people will be killed for their behinds!
Everyone knows who is doing it ….its not like Mukula is small as Ivory you can hide in the boot of a small vehicle, these are huge logs which manage to cleared on all major checkpoints as they have been cleared by Jean Kapata’s Ministry of Lands Rubber stamp.
Tasila will provide all answers to this Rosewood (mukula) issue