Government has expressed gratitude to the German government through Peace Parks Fund and Kazumba Investment Limited for their unwavering support in the provision and improvement of accommodation to wildlife staff in game management areas.
Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba says the housing units and office blocks commissioned will provide wildlife police officers with dignified living and operational conditions.
The Minister said this in speech read on his behalf by Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Paul Thole during the commissioning of 14 housing units and 2 offices constructed at a total cost of over Three Hundred Seventy-Six Thousand Euros (E376,526.31) at Chizizi and Nkoka Wildlife Camps within Tembwe Chiefdom and part of Chama block of the Malawi -Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area (MAZATFCA) in Chama District, Eastern province.
” Such beautiful housing units and office blocks will enable the officers to perform their duties with greater efficiency and morale, as you may know improved accommodation and office space are critical components of effective law enforcement, especially in remote areas like Musalangu Game Management Area,” he disclosed.
Mr Sikumba noted that such initiatives from cooperating partners are a clear demonstration of continued collaborative efforts that aligns perfectly with the government’s Eighth National Development Plan(8NDP) which prioritises improved livelihoods, Sustainable natural resources management and infrastructure development in rural areas.
He expressed gratitude to traditional leadership’s dedication and support to issues concerning the importance of conservation in their chiefdoms, and has urged the officers to take care of the house and office blocks by maintaining them with pride.
Kazumba Safari Director Habib Patel reiterated that this handover is not a one off gesture, but part of a deliberate long term strategy to build a thriving conservation economy in rural Zambia and one that protects wildlife while uplifting the people who share the landscape with it.
“True conservation goes beyond protecting wildlife, it is about creating opportunities, restoring dignity and showing that communities can prosper when conservation works for them,” he emphasised.
Mr Patel adds that this handover ceremony witnessed stands as proof that Kazumba Safari will work in partnership with the government and the communities reinvest in people and infrastructure and turn Tembwe and Kambombo Game management area into one of Zambia’s most successful conservation recovery stories.
Meanwhile, Department of National and Wildlife Dominic Chiinda said the handover of 14 housing units and 2 office blocks is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to transforming the department into a modern, efficient organisation capable of meeting contemporary conservation challenges.
And Senior Chief Kambombo of the Senga people in Chama District expressed gratitude to the government and its cooperating partners for the support aimed at improving the welfare of wildlife officers.
The traditional leader has however requested the department to recruit more officers to reduce the incident of human animal conflicts.
He has since made an appeal to have community scouts to be employed as wildlife police officers rather than seeing the coming of newly recruited officers from other areas.
