Lease for Mwape section of West Mvuvye Forest cancelled...

The brother of Chieftainess Mwape, and Senior Chief Luembe, Gerald Mulowa tells me that the Surveyor-General of Zambia has now cancelled the 99 year renewable leasehold issued to Z. Patel for what once was Mwape customary land, and that Patel will shortly have to remove his developments. It remains to be seen whether this will happen, and whether the Anti-Corruption Commission are really doing anything about the case. Nothing has been heard from the Commision for Investigations.

All efforts so far of the newly formed Luembe Community and Caretaker Association to deal similarly with the Luembe section of the West Mvuvye Forest, alienated to Royal Luembe Limited (Tom Younger and Andrew Baldry) have failed so far. The MMD Chairman (ruling party) for Nyimba, Whiteson Njobvu - an accomplice of Younger et al, told me that no alienation had taken place - contrary to what Younger told me. However, Njobvu did not make his appointment with me to discuss the issue and now has placed pressure on the Nyimba District Council not to make available to the Association, and to the Chairman of the Luembe Community Resource Board, the land number - required to trace the details at the Ministry of Lands.

Rumour has it that Royal Luembe have purchased a major shareholding in the Mn'yamadzi game ranching company, a property which lies to the south of the West Mvuvye Forest, though nothing official has as yet been recorded of this transaction. Recent site of the safari hunting quotas issued once again for this unfenced property, reveal massive quotas, some species like hippo and crocodile which can only be shot in the adjoining West Petauke Hunting Block, whose boundaries include the Luangwa river. Complaints about this to all and sundry have had no response.

West Mvuvye National Forest and Baldry and Younger's Company...

The Baldry/Younger outfit, Royal Luembe Ltd, wholly owned by them - with no community shareholding, is according to Whiteson Njobvu of Luembe (a willing assistant in their plan to alienate the forest for commercial gain), "doing nothing". Njobvu says that the area is still a National Forest and Royal Luembe has yet to be given clearance to go forward with their plans. This makes Younger's assertion that the forest had been degazetted as a result of his application, and that the permission of the State President had been given in a private audience, puzzling. Meanwhile community members are continuing with their queries at the Ministry of Lands and other government offices.

Luembe community public prosecutor investigates land alienations...

The Luembe community public prosecutor in the lower end of Zambia's Luangwa valley, Japha Mbewe, is very busy investigating a number of issues affecting the rights of his community: land alienations, the bushmeat trade, elephant poaching, the ivory trade, a poaching syndicate being run by Zambia Wildlife Authority officers, illicit ivory movements, the fencing off of community land without the necessary EIA being completed, illegal safari hunting, the impacts of elephant and other wildlife on village crops and property...

An interview he conducted today with the Nyimba Forestry Officer shed no light on the contining West Mvuvye National Forest saga. He local man in charge of forestry knows nothing of de-gazetting, of what happens at head office. Decentralization, where are you?