SEIZED MUKULA-LADEN TRUCKS FLAGGED OFF

DEFENCE permanent Secretary Sturdy Mwale has directed all security personnel across the country to impound all trucks found laden with illegal logs of Mukula.

Mr Mwale said Government would not hesitate to impound for forfeiture any illegal Mukula logs because the ban was still in effect.

Speaking when he flagged off 21 trucks laden with illegally harvested Mukula logs for Chirundu border in Kafue yesterday, Mr Mwale commended the Committee of Joint Operations for their work in execution and impounding the trucks.

Mr Mwale said the defence security should not rest until sanity was brought by ensuring that all the culprits involved in illegal dealing of the tree were brought to book.

Mr Mwale said contrary to allegations from the general public that ZAFFICO was harvesting the Mukula tree despite the ban, Government had only engaged ZAFFICO to sell seized logs on its behalf.

He said Zambia Forest and Forestry Industry Corporation (ZAFFICO) will continue selling logs on behalf of Government because they cannot let it go to waste and it was not the first time ZAFFICO was doing so.

Meanwhile Mr Mwale said five trucks laden with Mukula were impounded, but were still under investigations by the Committee of joint operations.

“I am appealing to the general public to desist from this illegal harvesting of ‘Government trophy’. Government should gain revenue from the sale of Mukula logs to benefit the Zambian people,” said Mr Mwale.

And ZAFFICO chief executive officer Frightone Sichone said the nation would be informed of how much money Government has realised from the exported Mukula logs.

Mr Sichone said the export exercise was on-going untill the vice of harvesting Mukula logs is curbed in the country.

“I cannot say how much containers or tonnes of logs have been sold, but we will ensure that it is known to the public once we compile and I want to make it clear that ZAFFICO is not cutting the logs because we are also bound by the ban, but our role is to ensure that we sale all the illegal Mukula on behalf of Government before it goes to waste,” said Mr Sichone.