Page 12 • FEATURES SUNDAY MAIL, January 10, 2021

KAPALA CHISUNKA Lusaka

HE Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) PeP talk on mining policy believes mining is a key sector of the economy and, as such, when the party Party to establish Minerals and Oil Exploration Authority Tforms government, it will ensure that maximum economic well as the overall growth of the maximum number of non-citizen value is derived from the sector nation. employees it can employ based for the benefit of all Zambians. He says the same way the on a company’s total tax paid to The party’s leader Sean country exports copper is the the Zambia Revenue Authority Tembo says PeP feels the way that Zambia needs to (ZRA) in a financial year. country has been blessed with import various other important Mr Tembo says this is abundant precious mineral products, including fuel, and because PeP believes mining as resources such as gold, other factors of production such a key sector of the economy is emeralds and basic methods as machinery, and to do that, supposed to employ the majority such as copper, nickel and Mr Tembo says forex revenue is of citizens. This, he says will manganese which should needed. ensure that Zambians get what benefit locals in various ways. “When you export minerals, they are entitled to in their own Mr Tembo says the PeP which are our major forex country. administration will prioritise the earner, and that money does not Mr Tembo says if a mining policy on remittance of forex come back to Zambia, then it company’s tax liability drops revenue from mineral sales. means that this country will not from one year to the next, then The party believes that forex have sufficient forex revenue the company would have to let revenue is very critical and to be able to buy the critical go of their foreign workers as important in the development of things we need to run the their quota will go down. any country, including Zambia. economy. Therefore it will limit Unfortunately, he feels that “In our view, mining is the growth of the economy,” he usually the only jobs left for supposed to bring in forex says. Zambians in the mining sector revenue are low-level ones which we while management will need jobs, technical to improve and engineering other jobs are given to goods and expatriates where services. To mining companies this effect, are coming from. PeP will Mr Tembo change the says the situation policy for deprives repatriation local citizens of sales of from gainful minerals,” employment. Mr Tembo “PeP will ensure says. that Zambians He says get employed in each local company that sells Mr Tembo says the PeP senior positions in these mining minerals outside the country administration will also companies. These minerals will would have to bring back all the enforce simplification of tax eventually run out and that is the money raised from the sale of laws for mining companies by reason we believe that Zambians minerals into their local bank implementing a revenue tax have to benefit while they can,” accounts. on all copper exports based he says. What will be allowed to on prevailing London Metal Mr Tembo says the PeP be repatriated, according to Exchange (LME) prices. administration will also ensure Mr Tembo, will be the profits He says PeP feels there is a support and promotion of local and dividends which will be lot of tax evasion in the mining businesses. declared after the operations of sector which has resulted in very He says the PeP government mining companies. little tax being realised from will ensure that mines are “We are not going to allow a the sector. He says the concept compelled to procure from local situation where the sale of our of taxation is supposed to be companies. minerals is just on paper but the fair and equitable across all “Establishing a quota for each actual forex revenue does not taxpayers. mining company with regard PEP leader Sean Tembo. come back to the country as it “PeP will reform that and to the maximum amounts of remains in the foreign countries ensure the mining sector pays a goods and services that can welfare of the citizens,” he says. responsible for undertaking “The PeP administration will mining operations so that the where the copper is sold,” he fair share,” he says. be imported from outside the Additionally, the PeP exploration of various also continuously hold talks PeP government is not held to says. The PeP administration will country will promote local administration will establish the minerals and oils across the with potential mine investors ransom by mining companies The party feels that is also ensure that it gives quotas production and industries. It Minerals and Oil Exploration country using state-of-the-art and sign tentative agreements threatening to pull out from retrogressive to the economy as to all mining companies for the will also help improve the Authority that will be technology. for them to take over existing Zambia,” Mr Tembo says. Racing with cheetahs at Lavushimanda FRANCIS CHEWE Lavushimanda

OR all its beauty, Lavushimanda was previously a hidden area within Mpika Fdistrict until 2017. The new district borrows its name from Lavushimanda National Park, named after the beautiful hills in the area. Although declared a national park in 1972, wildlife numbers have not been impressive. If anything, they have been limited to mostly antelopes. But something has changed recently. Cheetah, a species that was locally extinct in the Bangweulu Flats of Lavushimanda for almost a century, has been translocated into the park. Three cheetahs were flown via Nkondo airstrip and later taken to Bangweulu plains AFRICAN Parks and Department of National Parks and Wildlife officers load a in the company of African box carrying a cheetah on a Toyota Land Cruiser. Three cheetahs from South Parks and the Department of Africa were reintroduced into the Bangweulu Flats in Lavushimanda district in ONE of the cheetahs released into Bangweulu Wetlands. National Parks and Wildlife Muchinga Province recently. PICTURE: FRANCIS CHEWE PICTURE: ANDREW BECK (DNPW) officials. The cheetah is a large cat native to Africa and central need only drink once every three Bangweulu Wetlands since boards and African Parks Iran. It is the fastest land to four days. 2008. partnered to manage this vital animal, capable of running at Last month, the Government, Fitted with tracking collars 6,645km2 aquatic and terrestrial 80 to 128 km/h, and, as such, African Parks and the to enable their long-term ecosystem. it has several adaptations for Endangered Wildlife Trust monitoring, the cheetahs were Built on a system where speed, including a light build, (EWT) announced the successful safely released into temporary local people retain rights for long thin legs and a long tail. translocation of an initial three enclosures specially designed to sustainable harvesting of natural The cheetah is the world’s cheetahs from South Africa. support their acclimation. resources, the wetland is unique fastest land mammal. With The reintroduction is being The founder population is in its governance and is a acceleration that would leave undertaken as a collaboration genetically unrelated and was leading example of community- most automobiles in the dust, to help restore Bangweulu’s sourced from three reserves, driven conservation. a cheetah can go from 0 to 60 biodiversity and aid efforts to namely Mountain Zebra Government wants to miles an hour in only three secure safe spaces to promote National Park (Eastern Cape), diversify the economy away seconds. the long-term survival of the Rogge Cloof (Northern Cape) from its dependency on mineral Before unleashing species in the region. and Welgevonden (Waterberg, resources. their speed, cheetahs use “With the reintroduction of Limpopo). In 2018, the National Park exceptionally keen eyesight cheetahs to this extraordinary “In many parts of the and Wildlife Policy was to scan their grassland wetland, Bangweulu serves continent cheetahs face an enacted. It recognises the need environment for signs of prey, as a paragon for community uncertain future, but today to work with the private sector especially antelope and hares. conservation,” DNPW acting the Zambian government and to develop some of the parks This big cat is a daylight director Chuma Simukonda Bangweulu’s communities to supplement Government’s hunter that benefits from says. are providing a chance for efforts. stealthy movement and a “Our unique tripartite their recovery,” African Parks “The policy was enacted to distinctive spotted coat that partnership with the community country director James Milanzi recognise efforts of previous allows it to blend easily into resource boards and African said. governments that signed AFRICAN Parks Lavushimanda National Park scouts with two poachers high, dry grasses. Parks has unlocked an “Thanks to our 12-year agreements with African (squatting) caught with 17kg of duiker and 38kg of bush pig meat in Muchinga When the moment is right, opportunity here to help protect partnership with the DNPW Parks in 2003 in Liuwa Plain Province recently. PICTURE: FRANCIS CHEWE a cheetah will sprint after its this vulnerable species from and six CRBs, Bangweulu has National Park and later with the quarry and attempt to knock extinction in the wild, while seen a dramatic transformation. Bangweulu wetlands in 2008,” it down. Such chases cost the helping to re-vitalise Bangweulu The reintroduction of cheetahs Mr Simukonda said. achievement that Zambia the intention to translocate the a competitive advantage with hunter a tremendous amount and enhance nature-based marks a new ecological The two areas have seen the shares,” Mr Simukonda said. cheetahs. other parks in the region. of energy and are usually tourism,” he says. milestone and an exciting new growth of wildlife populations He said the coming back Mr Milanzi said the three Mr Milanzi is urging over in less than a minute. If Mr Simukonda says the chapter for eco-tourism to this that are in turn bringing in of the cheetahs is not by cheetahs re-introduced form stakeholders to guard the successful, the cheetah will translocation initiative arises region.” tourists, both local and foreign. mistake as Government started a seed that will eventually protected areas jealously to often drag its kill to a shady from a long-standing partnership At 6,570 km2, Bangweulu “African Parks pioneered its preparing for this venture spread to other parks, including ensure safety for wildlife. hiding place to protect it from between DNPW, six community is of suitable size and habitat business-centred conservation by developing the cheetah Lusenga National Park, North “We need to preserve opportunistic animals that resource boards (CRBs) and to support a viable cheetah model in Zambia which management plan in 2017, Luangwa National Park and wildlife for the future so that sometimes steal a kill before African Parks, a conservation population. In 2008, the DNPW, has now spread to 19 parks which made African Parks to South Luangwa National Park, our country can enjoy the God- the cheetah can eat. Cheetahs non-profit which has managed six community resource in 11 countries. This is an approach Government with and eventually give Zambia given resources,” he said.