Mukula trees endangered – Chief Chamuka

Sun, 12 Mar 2017 08:44:47 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

THE Mukula tree is now highly endangered, hence Government should come up with stringent measures in protecting the tree being smuggled out of the country in high quantities, Chief Chamuka of the Lenje people of Chisamba has said.

Chief Chamuka noted that Government was trying its best in protecting the Mukula tree but that some unscrupulous people still continued to illegally export the tree.

He said in an interview with the Sunday Nation that the tree was now highly endangered and that Government should ensure that the Mukula tree was stringently guarded.

Chief Chamuka warned that the Mukula tree in Zambia risked being depleted because there were only a few trees across the country.

He reiterated that unscrupulous people were ready to sacrifice their lives just to smuggle the Mukula tree out of the country for their selfish gains, hence the need for stringent measures to be put in place.

Chief Chamuka said that ordinary Zambians should join in the protection of the Mukula tree because it was of economic value to the nation.

“The continued smuggling of the Mukula tree is really worrying. There are only a few of this tree species in the country. It risks being depleted, hence everyone should be involved in protecting this tree. It’s actually a tree of economic value to the nation, so it should be protected,” he said.

Chief Chamuka called on the security agencies to increase patrols in areas where the Mukula tree was being cut and smuggled out of the country.