Africa: Continent Losing Forest Faster Than Any Other Region

SciDev.Net (London)


March 15, 2007
Posted to the web March 15, 2007

Marina Ramalho

Africa lost over nine per cent of its trees between 1990 and 2005, according to a UN survey of the world's forests.
This represents over half of global forest loss, despite the fact that the continent accounts for just 16 per cent of global forests. The report was released this week (13 March) by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The highest losses occurred in countries with high forest cover: Angola, Cameroon, DRC, Nigeria, Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Although forests are obtaining greater political support and commitment in Africa, the report says "implementation and law enforcement remain weak in most countries".

In Latin America and the Caribbean, home to around a quarter of the world's forest cover, 0.5 per cent of forest was lost every year between 2000 and 2005 -- up from a rate of 0.46 per cent in the 1990s. The conversion of forest to agriculture was the leading cause of deforestation. Costa Rica, however, has turned around its forest decline in the 1990s to see a growth of almost one per cent of forest area expansion per year. But the extent to which this is related to reductions in agricultural land or innovative policies is not clear, warns the report. The survey highlighted positive action in Latin American countries. This includes a large increase in forest area designated for biodiversity conservation, indicating that countries are taking steps to prevent loss of primary forests -- those undisturbed by human activities.

According to the report, the region is "among the world leaders in innovative approaches to international cooperation on forest issues". Methods used include forming networks to fight fires and improve the management of protected areas.

The Amazon Treaty Cooperation Organization -- whose member countries comprise Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela -- and the Central American Commission on Environment and Development are among those cited in the report. Forested area increased in Asia between 2000 and 2005 -- largely due to China's investment in tree plantations, which offset high rates of forest clearing in other regions.

Chiefs Nyalugwe, Kopa...the story goes on

That Amanita was allocated 10, 000 ha. of land by Senior Chief Kopa and Chief Luchembe is further evidence of the failure of some chiefs to embrace a Landsafe Trust, whereby customary land is leased out under 'usufruct' and not 99 year renewable leasehold which results in the permanent removal of the land from the community.

Amanita tried to obtain land in Chief Nyalugwe's country but was blocked by the community, with encouragement from myself - and I was assured by the then Minister of Lands, Judith Kapijimpanga, that she would not allow it through were it to land on her desk. However as we are trying to usher in investment to customary areas , we encouraged Nyalugwe to rent land under ususfruct to Amanita; something not attractive to Nyualugwe or Amanita - the chief wanting cash in his pocket, and presumably Amanita wanting the security of a western-style land tenure arrangement.

In 2003, I presented the Landsafe programme for investment to Kopa, his CRB and senior advisors. This would have created a Trust in which investors and donor funds would go into a trust fund and be applied to community development - based on a participatory landuse plan. Kopa never did anything. When Kopa sat on the House of Chiefs he must have received a copy of the Landsafe programme which I had distributed to them all through Chief Chiawa. This later resulted in the Chiefs' representative to the stakeholder workshop for the 5th national Development Plan saying that they accepted the concept of "Chiefs'Trusts'.

What was mentioned (but not placed on the blog) in the article, was President Mwanawasa's statement that no more than 250 ha. may be given out in customary areas. Clearly the Commissoner of Land was acting outside of the law; as he has done in awarding some 10,000 ha. of the Mvuvye National Forest on 99 year lease to a businessman. Despite numerous attempts by myself and the community to have the Forestry Department do something about this, we have so far failed, Forestry now even refuse to see us. There are other long standing issues of land corruption which has been reported but nothing is being done about it.

An unfortunate part of the Amanita attempt to buy land from Nyalugwe, was that Nyalugwe then tried to have myself and Ross Michelson (who bought land from Nyalugwe some time ago) deported; succeeding, for the moment, with Michelson.

The Rev. Nyirongo...

The pot calls the kettle black...

Corruption threatens African democracy, economy

Geraldine Fraser Moleketi, the public administration minister

South African Broadcasting News February 28, 2007, 18:30


The anti-corruption conference says democracy, economic development and poverty eradication are under threat because of widespread corruption in Africa, but the developed world is also to blame. This emerged at the start of a three day anti-corruption conference held in Johannesburg today where more than 300 delegates from across Africa are discussing strategies in the fight against corruption. The conference has been hosted by the department of public service and administration in conjunction with the AU and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

The aim is for African governments, businesses and civil society to come up with possible solutions and adopt an African position on corruption ahead of the Global Forum on corruption in April. The delegates also agreed that corruption is one of the main reasons for rampant poverty, civil wars and under-development in the continent. But it is also true that multi-nationals and the developed world are also to blame.

Geraldine Fraser Moleketi, the public administration minister, says: "I think it will not be inappropriate for us to say that whether you look at the oil industry, arms industry, the minerals and various other resources, we have seen developed countries or agencies play a role which is negative and one example that has come this morning has been the Lesotho highlands water scheme."

Conference ends on Friday

According to Gladys Nyirongo, the land minister of Zambia, corruption in her country is more rife in the distribution of land. Nyirongo says: "You can be given land today, and the following day is being passed to another person, so that is where really I need to be very aggressive and very strong, because you will have a lot of friends, but you create a lot of enemies."

The conference will run until Friday when officials will announce a way forward and the type of National Integrity Systems to be used in their anti-corruption drive. At least 40 countries are signatories of the AU convention on preventing and combating corruption.

Dark deeds in the Ministry of Lands...

Why I fired Nyirongo - Levy


By KASUBA MULENGA (Zambia Daily Mail 1 March 07)

PRESIDENT Mwanawasa has suspended Commissioner of Lands Frighton Sichone less than 24 hours after Minister of Lands, Reverend Gladys Nyirongo, was sacked for engaging in corrupt practices involving land allocation.
The suspension of Mr Sichone was to pave way for investigations by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) into the alleged corrupt practices bordering on money laundering. Mr Mwanawasa made the disclosures at State House yesterday when he swore-in the new Minister of Lands, Mr Bradford Machila, permanent secretary in the Office of the Vice-President, Dr Austin Sichinga, Citizens Economic Empowerment Commissioners, Industrial Relations Court deputy chairman, Mwiinde Siavwapa and two senior private secretaries at State House, Rabson Chilufya and Alfred Sakala.

“Rev Nyirongo gave out land to herself, two plots to her husband, two other plots to her son and two more plots to her daughter.

So, I felt that the matter should be investigated,” Mr Mwanawasa said. “I have asked the Drug Enforcement Commission to investigate the matter. And because of rampant corruption at the Ministry of Lands, which is now stinking, I directed the Inspector-General of Police last night to seal off the premises,” he added. He said the ministry's premises would remain closed until investigations were completed.

The President also said that Rev Nyirongo illegally gave out 25,000 hectares in Mpika to a foreigner, contrary to his directive that any piece of land exceeding 1,000 hectares should not be given out without consulting him. He said he disapproved the allocation of the huge tract of land to a foreigner, but Rev Nyirongo went ahead with the process of issuing title deeds.

Mr Mwanawasa said also said he took into consideration Rev Nyirongo's allegations against Mr Sichone and that was why he decided to suspend him to pave way for investigations. He has since asked the new minister to quickly identify an officer who would take over from Mr Sichone.

Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Vice-President, Bernard Namachila, has been transferred to the Ministry of Lands. The President said he suspended Ms Mukuka Zimba, as permanent secretary in the same ministry after reports of her alleged involvement in corrupt practices although he was of the view that she would be cleared so that she could take back her position. However, due to reasons only known by herself, Rev Nyirongo continued piling up allegations against Ms Zimba so that he made it difficult for her to return.

Mr Mwanawasa said even after he appointed Mr Sichone to act as permanent secretary, Rev Nyirongo got furious and started making several allegations against him. “Many people at the ministry have amassed wealth through corrupt practices and they have been reporting each other. The minister reported the Commissioner of Lands but other people within the ministry also reported her. All I can say is that there is no order among thieves,” he said.

The President was also disappointed that Rev. Nyirongo approached Minister of Home Affairs, Ronnie Shikapwasha, DEC commissioner, Ryan Chitoba, and Anti-Corruption Commission director-general, Nixon Banda, over her allegations against Mr Sichone. He wondered why of all the people, Rev. Nyirongo also sought audience with First Lady, Maureen Mwanawasa over the same matter and what role Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha could play in the corruption allegations at the ministry. Mr Mwanawasa appealed to workers at the ministry to report any corrupt practice to Secretary to the Cabinet, Joshua Kanganja, or his private secretary for legal affairs so that investigations could be instituted. He said there were two other ministries where corruption had become rampant among officers. “Sooner, rather than later, the road will be yours. You will not only lose your jobs, but the law will also visit you,” he said.

Mr Mwanawasa also said he had worked with only one senior private secretary at State House for a long time and he had always been looking for the right people to help. The President said he had finally appointed the people he trusted but that if they thought they would be at State House to make money, they would go faster than they went there. Meanwhile, Mr Machila said in an interview that he would ensure that he addressed President Mwanawasa's task to clean the ministry without delay. He said the task was a challenge, which he needed to do diligently and aggressively.

Forestry Department’s closed doors….by I.P.A. Manning

There is much talk in Zambian civil society of the necessity for dealing with civil service corruption and apathy. The Forestry Department, once one of the finest in Africa, its roots laid in the soil of an England of 1066 and the creation by William the Conqueror of game and forest reserves – in 1215 embraced in Magna Carta, appears intent on continuing its degradation: local and national forests encroached, watersheds pillaged, illegal logging countenanced, complaints of the sale on 99 year leasehold to speculators ignored, community leaders who object, fobbed off.

On 8 February, I once more accompanied a member of the community who are objecting to the alienation to a businessman of the West Mvuvye National Forest No. 54 by the Nyimba District Council and the Ministry of Lands – an illegal action as state land may not be sold, to find that the Director, Anna Masinje again refused to see us, and the Chief Extension Officer, Sangalube, who had only two weeks previously promised to take action, would not even venture forth from his desk to greet us. As in other parts of government civil society critics and whistleblowers are not very welcome.

Of course, the Forestry Department, in common with all of the Zambian Government, receive substantial funding from donors. In the case of Forestry, the Fins have long been prominent; at present funding the Provincial Forestry Action Programme Phase 2, which involves establishing collaborative management regimes in forest reserves. Perhaps the Fins don’t know of the illegal alienations, of the attempts for three years by our community trust to enter into a joint forest management agreement with the Forestry Department and having the land sold from under us, of the failure of the Forestry officers to investigate this and other complaints, of the illegal logging by the Chinese in Eastern Province…the list goes on.

My community colleague cannot, unfortunately, hang on in Lusaka; his money is running out, and he needs to return to his village to see if there is anything left there from the massive flooding of the Luangwa river. His family will be huddled in the trees, his crops washed away, the school flooded, but he will come again, and with help stay a little longer, perhaps make a nuisance of himself, learning a little of what is needed to help his people out of dire poverty.

8 February 2007

Zambia Minister orders arresting illegal land dealers

A Zambian minister has issued an order to arrest the illegal land dealers, Zambia Daily Mail reported on Saturday.
Home Affairs Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha Friday told Inspector- General of Police Ephraim Mateyo to investigate and arrest criminals illegally allocating land in Lusaka and other cities in the name of political parties.
"One area that requires your immediate professional action is the illegal allocation of land in Lusaka and other cities. With immediate effect, you shall deal very hard ... and I mean very hard with these criminals who are illegally selling and allocating land," said the minister.
"You must go out and arrest these criminals, including their leaders, who are working behind scenes at the Lusaka City Council and the Ministry of Lands. You must work very closely with the Anti-Corruption Commission and other investigative agencies to remove these criminals from society," he said.
He made the order in Lusaka at Lilayi Police College at the parade of 30 cadet assistant superintendents and 591 recruit constables.
He said there are too many complaints of illegal squatters on other people's land that has title.
"These are also criminals, even those who have constructed illegally," he said.
The minister said he wants the police to arrest those "whether they are MMD (ruling party), PF (opposition party), UDA ( opposition party), UPND (opposition party) or ULP (opposition party) cadres or whatever party. They are criminals because they have broken the law and, therefore arrest them and bring them before the courts of law."

Attorney-General cancels National Forest lease...

Mr Sangalube, Chief Forest Extension Officer in the Forestry Department, reported to Axon Lunga, Chairman of the Luembe Community Resource Board, that the Attorney-General of Zambia had cancelled the 99 year leasehold tenure on the traditional Mwape customary area part of the West Mvuvye National Forest which had been fraudently awarded to Mr Zaheer Patel by the Ministry of Lands, a notoriously dishonest Ministry, where files, like black rhino, go missing.

The remaining part of the forest has been alienated to a Mr Tom Younger and a Mr Andrew Baldry, to the Senior Chief Luembe, and a small share held by the community. The Department of Forestry will shortly be cancelling title on this area. Only a few days ago, Chief Luembe and his Kapasos (messengers) entered the area to obtain bushmeat - an illegal activity. A court action to be held in Kabwe to remove the present chief from office will shortly be held.

The Chairman of the Luembe Headmen's Association says ...

Today the Chairman of the Luembe Headmen's Association, Patson Lungu, said in Lusaka that he would shortly call a meeting of all the headmen in the Luembe Chiefdom to discuss the illegal alienation of the Mvuvye National Forest No. 54 to so-called investors by Senior Chief Luembe - one, Francis Kalungu Njobvu, whom the community wish to remove and have replaced by Devalias Phiri Besa. Lungu said that he would hold another meeting with the Zambia Anti-Corruption Committee, and, after the Headmen's meeting, would petition Parliament to undo the illegal alienation by corrupt elements within the Nyimba District Council, the Forestry Department and the Ministry of Lands. He expects shortly to be joined by Mr Axon Lungu, Chairman of the Luembe Community Resource Board, a Board empowered under the Wildlife Act of 1998.

West Mvuvye National Forest No. 54 Illegal Alienation

The Chairman of the Luembe Community Resource Board reports that Messrs Tom Younger and Andrew Baldry visited Snr Chief Luembe again recently in order to obtain more land, and were unsuccessful. It appears that the pair have obtained a renewable 99 year statutory lease on that portion of the National Forest which formerly was Luembe customary land. In order for National Forest to be sold, it needs to be de-gazetted with Parliament's approval. This has not been done. Apparently the local community have received a 20% share in the scheme - through an Association. This illegal alienation, as well as the illegal alienation of that part of the National Forest formerly part of the Chief Mwape customary area has been reported to the Commission for Investigations, to the National Movement Against Corruption (NAMAC) and shortly as a petition to Parliament by the Chairman of the CRB and by the Headman's Association of Luembe. The Luembe Conservancy Trust, which applied for a Joint Forest Management Agreement with the Forestry Department in order to develop a participatory conservationa and development scheme two years ago, has to date received no reply to its application, clearly now having been overtaken by current events. Despite numerous contacts with Foresty - particularly its regional representative, Bwalya Chendaoke, they appear to be taking no action.

Senior Chief Luembe is now the subject of an application for an Interim Injunction in the High Court for Zambia under the Chiefs Act (Cap 287 of the Laws of Zambia) restraining the respondent Francis Kalunga Njobvu from acting as Chief Luembe. the plaintiff is Devallias Phiri Besa. Recently the head of the Yendwa clan, Senior Chief Mboroma visited Luembe and travelled to Mwape for a meeting of the Nyendwa chiefs to discuss the issue.




posted by ipam @ 8:44 AM   0 co

The Luembe Community Resource Board complain to the Department of Forestry

Last week, Axon Lungu, Chairman of the Luembe Community Resource Board and trustee of the Luembe Conservancy Trust, which represent the community on wildlife and natural resource matters, visited the Department of Forestry in Lusaka to complain of the corruption which has occurred with regard to the alienation of part of the West Mvuvye National Forest to a businessman, of the failure of forestry to take action, and of the ongoing attempts of Chief Luembe, Baldry and Younger - with the conivance of Forestry officials, to make use of that part of the forest presently not alienated. He was unable to see the director, saw a more junior officer who promised to give him and answer in the forthcoming week.

West Mvuvye National forest news...

Two weeks ago, Senior Chief Luembe, accompanied by ex-Councillor Whiteson Njobvu, Messrs Balrdy and Younger, and two investors, came into the West Petauke GMA and passed the Malone camp of Mbeza Safaris stating that they had not been allowed to pass through the Nyamadzi Game Ranch by Derrick van Staden in order to visit the West Mvuvye National Forest, and would visit it from the opposit bank. On the return of the party, the chief informed Maloone staff that the investors wished to employ cooks and drivers.

The World Rainforest Movement reports...

The major environmental problem reportedly faced by Zambia is deforestation. A case study carried out by the European Forest Institute in 2000 gives figures: the annual rate of deforestation ranges from 250,000 to 900,000 hectares representing 0.5 to 2.0 % of the country's forest area.

Apart from other social and environmental impacts, the consequences of this process are felt on water supplies, since forests regulate much of the catchment area of the Zambezi river and are essential during the annual seven month long dry season.

The problem has reached a point where even the government has acknowledged the risk that forests may be wiped out if it does not put in place measures to stop deforestation. The Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources, Levison Mumba, said recently that the timber industry was a profitable business, but that it did not contribute to the country's gross domestic product because of lack of transparency by the stakeholders involved. He also suspected of tax evasion by the sector as well as illegal logging in forest reserves.

The government has recognised that the timber industry creates jobs, but the export of raw logs from the country deliver no benefit to the nation. The country must move away from the idea of importing furniture from other countries when it has the ability to make high-class furniture, said the Minister, who also expressed the need to support local firms that turn timber into finished goods and to look at the legislation regarding the export of unprocessed timber in order to protect the local market.

The Minister appears to be moving in the right direction in the sense of linking forest conservation and use with social benefits derived from the development of a local timber processing industry. What he may not be aware of is that these sensible ideas may prove difficult to implement within the free trade policies imposed by the industrialized world through the World Trade Organization, which may define them as "barriers to trade", thus declaring them illegal.

Source: WRM's bulletin Nº 60, July  2002. 

Merrily, Merrily, A Logging We Will Go!...

Chinese logging in Jumbe, Eastern Province

Mrs Mbewe, the Chairperson of the MMD in Chipata, has– with Chinese partnership, and through her company Macram Mining Enterprises, applied formally for a pit saw licence to cut a min of 40 trees and a max of 60 trees in Jumbe district a month, proposing to take out a total of 18,000 hardwood trees. At least 150 trees had been cut before formal issue of any licenses, which should disqualify Macram immediately from any logging. Despite calls to the Forestry Department and the Environmental Council of Zambia to stop the activity, it continued due to the inaction of some junior officers: a junior ECZ officer had failed to report the matter to his superiors, who have now dispatched a team to investigate, and a similar junior lethargy had affected the Forestry Department ranks, though - now that he knows about it, the Principal Extension Officer, Mr Wiseman Sangulube has promised he will follow the matter up and pursue prosecution for illegal cutting and for taking the trees into Malawi without papers.

NATIONAL FOREST NO. P54: WEST MVUVYE

NATIONAL FOREST NO. P54: WEST MVUVYE Government Notices
168 of 1955
340 of 1960
Statutory Instrument
158 of 1975
NOTE-All bearings, which are referred to Grid North, and all distances quoted in
this description must be understood as being approximate.
The area must likewise be regarded as an approximation.
Starting at the confluence of the Mvuvye and Mtirizi rivers, the Boundary
follows the left bank of the latter upstream to its confluence with the Katuwa
Stream; thence up the left bank of the Katuwa to a forest beacon at its source;
thence on a bearing of 232 degrees for 5,577.84 metres; thence in a straight
line to Beacon NRP22 on Chipirinyuma Hill; thence on a bearing of 320 degrees
for 5,791.2 metres; thence on a bearing of 325 degrees to the source of the
Nyamadzi stream; thence down the right bank of this stream to a forest beacon
situated east of the source of the Kalambola Stream on a bearing of 108 degrees
from that source; thence to the source of the Kalambola Stream and continuing
down its right bank to its confluence with the Luangwa River; thence up the left
bank of the latter river to its confluence with the Mvuvye River; thence up the
left bank of the latter to a forest beacon at the foot of the Kambala Hill
ridge; thence in a general south-westerly direction along the top of this ridge
to a forest beacon on the Chimanga Stream; thence up the left bank of this
stream to a forest beacon at its source; thence south-eastwards in a straight
line to a forest beacon at the source of the Nyakamba Stream; thence down the
right bank of this stream to a forest beacon near its confluence with the Lupezi
stream; thence south-eastwards in a straight line to the confluence of the
Mvuvye and Mtirizi rivers, the point of starting.
Included within the National Forest but not within the above described
boundaries are the eastern, southern and western slopes of the Chipirinyuma
Hill.
The above described area, in extent 62,728.5 hectares approximately, is shown
bordered green upon a plan numbered FR102/1 deposited in the office of the
Surveyor-General, signed by him and dated 5th October, 1960.

Luembe headmen who confirm they received payments in return for their agreement to the alienation...

Snr. Chief Luembe alienates West Mvuvye NF

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Snr. Chief Luembe alienates West Mvuvye NF

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Snr. Chief Luembe alienates West Mvuvye NF

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Snr. Chief Luembe alienates Mvuvye West NF

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