Banda saddened by illicit activities in Lochinvar

Tourism and Arts Minister Charles Banda is saddened by the illicit activities taking place in Lochinvar National Park.

Speaking after touring the wildlife sanctuary yesterday, Mr. Banda noted that there are a lot of illegalities taking place in the area.

Charles Banda

Mr. Banda also observed that the park is highly encroached coupled with a poaching problem.

He says it is for this reason that he will call for stakeholders meeting involving his ministry, traditional leaders and other stakeholders in order to find solutions to these challenges.

Mr Banda has expressed concern that the people in the fishing camps located around the Kafue flats have made it a point that they may not leave the fishing camps but turn them into permanent settlements.

The Minister says animals cannot survive with such statistics of illegal settlers and that it is clear that there is a high decline in the Kafue Lechwe population that stood at about 250, 000 in 1931.

Mr. Banda says today, the population of the said species, which is endemic to Zambia is about 28, 400according to the 2015 aerial survey report.