Zambian Minister responsible for hunting ban fired!!!

[pacific]

The minister of Tourism and Arts in Zambia who was responsible for the on going hunting ban in the country has officially been fired by the president. It comes after her actions on the cancellation of safari tenders and firing of Zambia Wildlife Authority staff were being probed by a tribunal. She has been fired even before the tribunal came to its conclusion.

We are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel and hope that this will lead to the lifting of the hunting ban in the country.

 

[BRICKBURN]

May be this will lead to some good things.
They need to hurry up and get their acts together to get the poaching under control and get hunting back on line.
Heres hoping.


MASEBO FIRED


TOURISM and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo has been dropped.
State House Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah said yesterday that President Michael Sata had relieved Ms Masebo of her duties with immediate effect.
Mr Sata thanked Ms Masebo, who is Chongwe Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament, for the services she had rendered to the nation during her tenure of office.
æ’¤resident Sata has with immediate effect relieved Ms Masebo of her duties as Minister of Tourism and Arts.
å…¸he Head of State thanked Ms Masebo for the services rendered to the country during her tenure of office, Mr Chella said in a statement.
Ms Masebo was appointed as Cabinet minister in July 2012.
Recently, a Tribunal was set up to probe Ms Masebo over allegations of interference in the operations of the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA).
In the process of hearing the matter, Ms Masebo claimed that President Sata directed her to dissolve the ZAWA Board.
The Tribunal was set up following former Communications and Transport minister, William Harrington's complaint over Ms Masebo's conduct, saying she had breached the Parliamentary and Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Ms Masebo was also in the limelight over contradictory statements issued with then Lands Minister Harry Kalaba, over the licence given to Zambezi Resources Limited to undertake mining activities in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Reacting to her dismissal, Ms Masebo thanked President Sata for giving her an opportunity to serve in his Cabinet as Tourism and Arts minister.
å…¸he President has the right to reshuffle his team at every stage and he needs our support in this.
æ»´e should be given all the support to continually reorganise his team so that at every stage we can deliver to the best of our abilities to our people, especially the poor, Ms
Masebo said in her Facebook posting yesterday.
Last week, President Sata dropped Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Alfredah Kansembe during a partial Cabinet reshuffle.
And Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Stanford Msichili has been transferred to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge confirmed yesterday that Mr Msichili had been transferred with immediate effect.
Mr Musenge said Local Government and Housing Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela had been shifted to the Copperbelt.
釘asically, it is a swap, Mr Msichili will go to the Ministry of Local Government and Reverend Sikwela is coming here with immediate effect, he said.

By DELPHINE ZULU and REBECCA MUSHOTA-
Times of Zambia.

 

[PeteG]

I hope this will have a positive impact on the situation here, and that it is not a mere swap of someone who is under fire being rotated for someone else who is not suitable for the position.
I'm hoping that there will be better management of the gma's and concessions from here on out.

 

[Royal27]

Fingers crossed.

This could make it better, or not...

 

[spike.t]

the new minister for tourism has got rid of the entire ZAWA board and is appointing a new one in 2 weeks...Zambia : Jean Kapata to name new ZAWA board in two weeks lets see how these technocrats of tourism do..........another link allAfrica.com: Zambia: Kapata Dissolves the Masebo Appointed Zawa Board

 

[BRICKBURN]

the new minister for tourism has got rid of the entire ZAWA board and is appointing a new one in 2 weeks...Zambia : Jean Kapata to name new ZAWA board in two weeks lets see how these technocrats of tourism do..........another link allAfrica.com: Zambia: Kapata Dissolves the Masebo Appointed Zawa Board

Well, I hope Jean grasps the concept that stability and transparency actually facilitate investment and tourism.

There is a great natural resource ready to be sustainably used.

Pick them well.

 

[PeteG]

As many of us had hoped, looks like Zambia is making some progress again and in the right direction for a change.

BAN ON HUNTING IN 19 HUNTING BLOCKS LIFTED
Minister Of Tourism and Arts Jean Kapata has lifted the ban on hunting in the 19 hunting blocks with immediate effect.

Ms Kapata made the announcement at a press briefing held at the Ministry of Tourism head office in Lusaka this morning.

She however said that the hunting will be conducted under laid down conditions and strict supervision from ZAWA. But that the ban on big Cats still stands.

Hunting in the said blocks was suspended in 2013 due to inability to select outfitters in these blocks arising from a flawed process in the tender.

Hunting of Lions and other cats was banned on understanding that their populations were depleted to such low levels that it was not sustainable to hunt them.

She has also appealed to everyone to assist government and ZAWA in the conservation of the wildlife and its habitat in Zambia.

She said that Zambia prides itself in having arguably the richest bio-diversity on the continent.


I'm not so sure about the claim to having the richest bio-diversity on the continent...

 

[BRICKBURN]

That is really good news Pete.

Here's hoping.

 

[PeteG]

That is really good news Pete.

Here's hoping.

Yep, it is, we can only hope that the right decisions will be made now.