Zambian Forest Reserve Threatened
10/25/99
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Title: Forest reserve threatened
Source: Times of Zambia, via Africa News Service
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 25, 1999
Lusaka - Momboshi forest reserve in Chisamba is threatened by massive
deforestation by foreign illegal timber dealers. A guided field tour
of national environmental education workshop participants last
Wednesday revealed the illegal logging.
The forest reserve committee discovered that part of the forest had
been devastated. "Karubwe forest is gone.
So is Kamaila. That is why we want Government to assist us preserve
Momboshi," said Chisamba councillor and committee member David Mwimba
at the start of the tour.
He, with fellow committee members, George Chibbabbuka, Stanley
Nshimbi, David Kalebwe, Elliot Kalebwe, Charley Harvey, Graig
Ashrwood and David Gordonwere shocked that the more than 6,000
hectare woodland had been raided. Mr. Harvey said the committee did
not have problems with villagers as they appreciated that the forest
was their heritage.
Workshop participants wondered how the named South Africans got into
gazetted forest without a permit to obtain raw wood they later
smuggled out of Zambia. A tractor, a cart and several items were
found at one camp deserted by hired labourers who fell trees after
they heard disturbances from conservationists.
"A tree of this size is about 80 years old," lamented Harvey pointing
at one of the stumps. Although Environment and Natural Resources
Deputy Minister on Monday during the official opening of the four-day
workshop at Ibis Gardens in Chisamba said Government had put in
motion legislation to curb such illegality, the committee feared the
law may have come a bit late.
And workshop organiser and ECZ environmental education officer Ngula
Mubonda said the deforestation was a typical area in need of
networking of the media involving the police, the Zambia Revenue
Authority (ZRA) and local communities.