The government has given Kubu Crafts and Arts timber processing industry in Livingstone a few weeks ultimatum in which to improve the working conditions of its employees or risk being closed.
Minister of Green Economy and environment Collins Nzovu says he is saddened to find Zambian workers at the firm working without any personal Protective equipment ( PPE), saying his ministry cannot entertain.
Speaking during his tour of the facility today, Mr Nzovu said he is also saddened to note that some of the logs heaped for processing were not hammer marked to signify that they were licensed by the department of forestry.
The Minister has since directed all forestry officers in the country to conduct regular inspections in various timber processing industries in the country to ensure that the law on use of licensed timber is followed.
“ The problem with you forestry officers is that you do not monitor these industries, am now warning that every forestry officer who fails to monitor forestry activities in their area and continues to allow usage of an hammer marked timber in industries will be disciplined”, he said.
The minister said the forests have become depleted as charcoal burners continue with their business without much intervention from the forestry department.
Mr. Nzovu has also further Directed the Zambia Environmental Management Agency ( ZEMA ) to immediately conduct an inspection at Kubu crafts and arts timber processing industry and ensure that they put things in order within the given period.
Meanwhile Kubu crafts and Arts Director Roelt Busiman who had a tough time justifying the failure by the company to provide protective clothing for its workers among others issues , assured the minister that immediate actions would be taken on observations made.
The Minister of Green economy is on four day working visit in southern Province inspecting various forestry activities accompanied by provincial forestry officer Mercy Mupeta and other senior government officials from the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment.
These are obviously practices that have subsisted for decades. People have illnesses that ex-employers do not even get to take responsibility for. We need MPs and standards monitors to be more humane than they ever have been and legislate and enforce these sorts of things.
Those forestry officers are among the most corrupt civil servants around. Time to call the ACC!
And when is this minister going to call a ban on illegal charcoal production? Zambia is the number TWO on the global list of deforestation! And NOTHING is being done about it!
I hv met Green Economy and Environment minister Collins Nzovu only once. I think it was in 1999 or 2000. He was then a young civil engineer at Zesco. He has one of the most important and difficult jobs in the HH cabinet. As humans we live in the present and not in the future. If we don’t survive in the present, we won’t see the future. Sadly for the minister, our survival in the present depends largely on burning fossil fuels, charcoal and using plastic because clean energy is not being produced in sufficient and economic quantities. All the best, minister.
What about all those traders at mukuni market by the falls trading in handicrafts. How sure are you that that timber is not from forestry department? Do they have protective equipment when they are carving in the makeshift huts? Let the law be applied fairly to all.
Work with them; don’t shut them down. They provide much needed jobs and taxes. COVID is a factor as there are no tourists to by their products. GRZ help can be offered.
I just wish that this guy becomes the next president after HH retires , he definitely has HH’s vision/objectivity in him. After HH we need a young visionary leader to cement the gains HH will make. Felix Mutati is one of them and even better Cornelius Mweetwa. Gary Nkombo sits in HH’s heart but I don’t think he has qualities of a president to over from HH.
Mutati was my best bet – no questions abt that, but age is not on his side. Same goes for Situmbeko and the fire brand Denny Kalyalya.