CHIEF CHIKWA VIOLATES LAW, GOVT REVOKES TIMBER LICENCE FROM HIM
CHIEF Chikwa of the Senga people in Eastern Province has been arrested and charged for cutting timber in a game restricted area.
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Danny Mwale said the traditional leader was arrested after the Central Joint Operation Committee discovered that he has been encroaching into the game restricted area where he is cutting timber.
Government has also revoked a timber concession licence awarded to Chief Chikwa, for flouting the conditions under which the authorisation was issued.
The chief was reportedly engaging foreign nationals to harvest the timber using the licence which is a reserve for local people.
This development has, therefore, led to Government embarking on a vigorous audit of the operations of the 190 timber concession licence holders following reports that many have sold their licences to foreigners.
Green Economy and Environment Minister, Collins Nzovu, said this in a statement issued yesterday.
“By transferring the concession licence to a foreign individual, the concession licence holder has also violated section 61 of the Forest Act as well as section 89 of the Forest Act by being in illegal possession of forest produce harvested from areas that were not designated for harvesting by their licence.
“Our traditional leaders must desist from engaging in such illegalities to avoid being found in confrontation with the law as evidenced by the arrest of a Tanzanian national who was found harvesting timber using a local concession licence holder,” Mr Nzovu said.
He said Government agencies have discovered that contrary to regulation number 11 of the Forest Concession Licence Regulation of 2016, foreign nationals are involved in the timber harvesting at the invitation of local concession holders such as the traditional leader in question.
The Forest Department, he noted, established that the said concession licence holder is also harvesting timber beyond the defined or designated forest concession area contrary to section 52 (1) b of the Forest Act of 2015.
“In late 2022, the government had issued almost 200 concession licences in the small and medium categories from over 480 applications which prioritised our local people so as to do away with the legacy issues where timber harvesting was merely the preserve of the elite and ruling party cadres.
“And prior to issuing the concession licences, we had put into consideration the fact that chiefs are custodians of tradition and the people they preside over in their chiefdoms hence empowering the chiefs would have trickle down effects to their subjects through economic activities and employment when harvesting the timber,” Mr Nzovu said.
The minister said during the current drought situation which has been declared a state of emergency by President Hakainde Hichilema, illegal logging and violation of concession licences will not be tolerated.
Mr Nzovu said the law will catch up with any of the violators.