By GIDEON NYENDWA
GOVERNMENT will next month launch an exercise to collect all the Mukula logs laying across the country that were illegally harvested before the ban on harvesting and trading of the logs was enacted in 2021.
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”4,5,6″ ihc_mb_template=”2″ ]
Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Collins Nzovu said government has engaged the services of the Zambia National Service (ZNS) to embark on an exercise on behalf of the Forestry Department to identify and collect all illegally harvested Mukula logs across the country to ZNS satellite/collection centres.
He said following the Mukula mopping exercise, his ministry, through the Forestry Department, will engage the Director of Public Prosecutions to institute forfeiture proceedings to forfeit illegally harvested Mukula logs to the State in accordance with the relevant laws applicable.
“The exercise to mop up all illegally harvested Mukula logs across the country will run from November 1, 2023 to November 20, 2023 and the process institute forfeiture proceedings is scheduled to take place within two weeks from the completion of the Mukula mop up exercise,” he said.
Mr Nzovu said the official satellite/collection centres, Luapula province will be using Luamfumu, ZNS camp, Western province will be using Mangango, ZNS camp, Muchinga province will be using Mpika, ZNS camp, Northern province will be using Kasama, ZNS camp, Eastern province will be using Nyimba, ZNS camp and Southern will be using Livingstone, ZNS camp. He said once the illegally harvested Mukula logs have been forfeited to the State, a special Committee of survey will undertake to value the said logs after which the auctioning of the forfeited logs would be done at each collection/satellite centre.
Mr Nzovu said the exercise will ensure a fair and transparent way of disposing of the already harvested logs.
He said the process will ultimately limit fraud and other illegalities in turn maximising local benefits in the trade and export of indigenous tree species.
Mr Nzovu has called on the members of the public to cooperate with personnel from ZNS as they go around identifying and collecting the logs for their eventual transportation to and deposition at Satellite/Collection Centres.
[/ihc-hide-content]
