Siavonga’s tourism potential underutilised – Mutati

By NATION REPORTER MINSTER of Works and Supply, Felix Mutati has observed that Siavonga district is underutilised as a tourism destination.

The minister said the district had vast potential which when capitalised could bring economic development to the country and raise the economic status of the district.

Mr. Mutati said government was working towards making the Siavonga a tourism destination of choice by exploiting its potential.

He said this last Thursday when he visited Siavonga on a working visit.

“As Government we will endeavour to exploit the tourism potential that Siavonga has to get returns on the investments that have gone into the district.

“It is sad to note that Siavonga remains abandoned and under invested in terms of tourism and I think as government we must remain focused on how we can harness the potential in Siavonga,” he said.

The minister said it was only when the district had its potential utilised that employed and wealth would be created in the district.

He noted that investment into the tourism sector was a fundamental area of concentration if the Zambian economy was to diversify from being dependent on the minerals sector.

And the minter said fish development projects should be set up the district as this was the major source of livelihoods for most of the residents.

“We have secured US$54 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support the fishing industry and I think Siavonga should be the jump-start for the development of this project,” he said.

He noted that investing in the fish sector would provide employment and increase the contribution of the district to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

And Siavonga district commissioner Lovemore Kanyama said fish farmers in the district had continued to be arrested for fishing in the Kariba dam in a part believed to be on the Zimbabwean side.

Mr Kanyama said this had been going on for a while even after meetings with the officials from Zimbabwe.

The district commissioner appealed to the government to intervene in the wrangles of the boundaries on the Kariba dam which is shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe.