Saturday, March 30, 2024

Chieftainess Nkhomesha Protests the Diversion of Water by Commercial Farmers

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A traditional Leader has appealed to the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) to curb the rampant and unfair usage of water by commercial farmers in Chongwe District and surrounding areas.

Chieftainess Nkomesha Mukamambo (II) of the Busoli Royal Establishment of Chongwe, said the unfair usage of water by commercial farmers is creating water shortages and disadvantaging local people.

The traditional leader urged WARMA to enforce her mandate and regulate and safeguard water resources in the country to equally benefit both local people and commercial users.

Chieftainess Nkomesha said this when WARMA officials led by Director General, Kenneth Nyundu paid a courtesy call on her at her Makuyu palace in Chongwe District.

“We want to work with WARMA in resolving water resources challenges in the chiefdom which have been disadvantaging our local people in having adequate access to water resources at all levels” said Chieftainess Nkomesha.

“We further need the Authority’s assistance in curbing unfair practices in utilization of the resource which is very rampant among commercial farmers and further creates an equal sharing of this precious resource at both commercial and domestic levels”, said the traditional leader.

In a press statement issued to the media in Lusaka today, WARMA Public Relations Officer, Joshua Kapila, and Chieftainess Nkomesha urged the water regulator to embark on a rapid water assessment project to quickly help resolve the water challenges in her chiefdom.

She urged WARMA to engage the local people who have been facing challenges in accessing water resources in the chiefdom.

And WARMA Director General, Kenneth Nyundu assured Chieftainess Nkomesha that the Rapid Water Assessment exercise to be implemented in her Chiefdom will help mitigate the water shortages and challenges in her chiefdom.

“We are in your Chiefdom to do a Rapid Water Assessment audit exercise to bring sanity and equal sharing of water resources in the catchment for both domestic and commercial users”, said Eng. Nyundu.

And speaking when he received the WARMA delegation, Chongwe District Commissioner, Robert Mwanza assured Mr Nyundu and his team of government’s support in the implementation of the Rapid Water Assessment program.

The Chongwe catchment has been experiencing water shortages prompting WARMA to embark on a Rapid Water Assessment aimed at addressing unequal access to the resource for domestic and economic use in the area.

Resolving the water challenges will enable communities access to the valuable water resources for personal and economic development and protect lives from experiencing continued water shortages.

Last year, the Authority conducted a similar Rapid Water Assessment program in the Luangwa and Lunsemfwa Sub-catchments respectively.

The Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) was established under the Water Resources Management Act No. 21 of 2011, to regulate, manage and develop water resources in the country and ensure equal access.

16 COMMENTS

  1. Farming is also vital madam but we will look into this to find common ground. Thank you for bringing it to our attention

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  2. She’s either not fully informed or trying to be polite. Government has allowed settlement and the wrong type of farming and degazetted forests that used to feed the Chalimbana river. Government itself is also a culprit.

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  3. BLAH BLAH GET RID OF COMMERCIAL FARMERS THEN INSTEAD OF TALKING NONSENSE
    LETS SEE HOW THE COUNTRY SURVIVES THEN
    YOU CANT HAVE YOU CAKE AND EAT IT

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  4. This is another typical example of why some us think that an opposition sitting in opposition for several years and have nothing to point at as achievement is a shame. Our legislators can do a lot of good things for our country without being in power. Our laws need to be looked at. If commercial farmers are diverting water at will, do we not have laws to regulate this? Are we Even failing to copy from other countries on how they deal with these issues? We know our country paid a heavy price for supporting liberation struggle in southern Africa and consequently remained far behind our Neigbours, but now it is our time the resources are in our favour and we have human capital. Let us do the right things and utilise our resources to the fullest while all our people benefit.

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  5. Not commercial farms doing the damage, but the two Chinese mines that are continuously pumping water from the rivers, leaving nothing for the farmers. How about doing something about that KZ?

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  6. If an Investor comes to our area
    And starts a project or any form of
    Activity we find the local people start getting annoyed and try to
    Evict that investor.But that area was lying idle for years but never
    Utilised it.That is zambian mentality.

  7. @Moto
    BRILLIANT POST AND TO THE POINT AND SPOT ON
    THIS DESERVES POST OF THE DAY
    ENJOY YOUR BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR THE REST OF THE DAY

  8. @VIC JOLSON
    YOU CRAZY TRYING TO REASON WITH KZ HE DOES NOTHING EXCEPT BLAH BLAH
    THE PROBLEM IS PF FROM START TO FINISH
    THEY CHINESE OWN ZAMBIA’S SOLE AND IF THE TRUTH BE KNOWN ZAMBIA AS WELL

  9. THE TROUBLE IS WE ZAMBIANS LIVE FOR TODAY AND NOT TOMORROW
    DEFORESTATION >>> Raping THE RIVERS OD ALL FISH AND FINGERLINGS>>>
    TRAPPING ANYTHING WITH 4 LEGS ETC ETC
    WHAT HOPE DO WE STAND AGAINST SUCH

  10. “Investors or Infectors!” there is much more than words on the occasions that Her Royal Highness talks about an issue and her stance has never faltered! What affects her chiefdom is of similar nature among other chiefdoms around the country especially on natural resources! If Zambia is willing to learn it has to start with government giving due “recognition” to governance of natural resources by the respective royal highnesses of the particular jurisdiction! What is at play is government does not pay attention to need of involving the traditional authorities when contracting projects or investments! the traditional authorities are bypassed and investors have no local obligations and feel only answerable to government! HRH Mukamaambo II is ever raising issue on how government behaves…

  11. contd….. over natural resources governance and protection. Government stop ignoring the traditional institutions over investment invasion on their lands!

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