EXPLAIN MUKULA MYSTERY

THE Ministry of Lands should take the bull by the horns and put to rest complaints and growing discontent over the continued alleged irregular export of large volumes of mukula logs to China. While it’s an open secret that the ban on the export of mukula logs remains strictly in place, stakeholders maintain, large volumes of logs which are exported as sawnwood arrive in China as mukula logs. A latest Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) report also confirms that high volumes of mukula logs continue to be exported to China despite regulations prohibiting it. The report entitled Mukula (rosewood) trade between China and Zambia, observes that the product that is exported as sawnwood arrives in China as Mukula logs resulting in trade disparities between the two countries and revenue losses of about US$ 3.2 million. The report further shows that while official statistics remain incomplete and unclear, comparing Zambia and Chinese customs data revealed significant disparities over the mukula trade between the two countries, with Zambia undervaluing the exported products in the wake of the ban. Clearly something is wrong here and unless the report is defective, the Zambian National Association of Sawmillers (ZNAS) is totally in order to demand a proper explanation. Without heaping blame on the Ministry of Lands or pointing an accusing finger, the ministry as ZNAS president William Bwalya observed, is indeed better placed to unlock this mystery surrounding the disparities in quantities of timber leaving Zambia and those recorded in China as having been imported from Zambia and the type of logs. We are in total agreement with Mr Bwalya on this. Unless this jigsaw puzzle surrounding the disparities is sufficiently explained, the ministry risks being misunderstood by the ZNAS and other stakeholders. Already, there is so much hullabaloo and growing discontent over the manner in which the government is handling the issue of persistent illegal harvesting of mukula logs mainly by foreigners. It therefore becomes inevitable for the ministry to shed light on these thorny issues to put to rest stakeholders’ suspicions over this high value product which has generated so much interest among local and foreign sawmillers. Admittedly, Minister of Lands Jean Kapata has on several fora, including Parliament, explained Government’s position on management of forests including the export of mukula products. But as things stand, opposition political parties, the ZNAS and some citizens have continued to raise eyebrows over alleged illegal mukula harvest by foreigners and management of the resource at the expense of Zambians. Judging from the foregoing and claims in the CIFOR report, it is clear that the ministry still has an uphill battle to elucidate on the mukula mystery which if not properly handled will continue to give it and the government a bad name. Perhaps the ministry should consider lifting the ban on the export of mukula logs as demanded by both the CIFOR report and ZNAS. After all, people, especially foreigners have continued exporting the resource as logs or ‘sawnhood’ while illicit harvesting of the trees has persisted. The fact that the media has continued to report stories of either police or soldiers impounding truckloads of mukula logs across the country despite the ban on illegal harvests and let alone export of the logs, is justification enough that something is amiss here. We therefore urge the Ministry of Lands to engage all sawmillers and other stakeholders including traditional leaders to iron out all thorny issues pertaining to management, harvest and trade of the mukula resource. Further, it is also important to level the playing field to ensure that more locals, as opposed to foreigners benefit from the mukula trees, rosewood and other highly valuable forestry products. Otherwise, remaining mute will only fuel further negative speculations and accusations against the ministry – let it get to the bottom of the mukula mystery. Time to act is now.