By XAVIER MANCHISHI and NAKUBIANA SHABONGO –

CHIEF Kakumbi of Mambwe District in Eastern Province yesterday told the Tribunal probing Tourism and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo’s alleged interference at Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) that the cancellation of hunting concessions has resulted in rampant poaching in his area.
The traditional leader said the cancellation of the hunting safaris had also resulted in loss of revenue for his Community Resource Board as well as employment for youths who would otherwise be hired as scouts in the Game Management Areas.
Testifying as a witness for the petitioner, William Harrington, the chief said in the absence of scouts in national parks, his area has been rocked with rampant poaching.
“Now we don’t have the revenue we were getting from outfitters through pledges. There is rampant poaching in my area all because of ZAWA,” the chief said through an interpretor.
Chief Kakumbi caused laughter in court when the chairperson Rhoyda Kaoma asked him to make his submissions in English considering that half his responses were in the official language but the traditional leader denied saying the English used in court was difficult.
Asked in cross-examination by defence counsel Michael Mundashi if he would be supportive of the action by Tourism Minister to cancel the hunting concessions due to irregularities including the lack of involvement of chiefs, Chief Kakumbi asnwered in the affirmative.
But when the same question was asked by the petitioner’s lawyer Keith Mwewa on whether the chief was happy that the minister cancelled the hunting concessions bringing misery on his community, the traditional leader said the move was wrong.
Another witness Sydney Chilala, from the Office of the President, described the evalution process for the hunting concession as one that was done above board
Defence counsel, Robert Simeza asked Mr Chilala if his appointment to the evaluation committee was done in standard procedure through a letter directly from the then ZAWA Director General Edwin Matokwani as opposed to asking the Office of the President to nominate an officer
Another defence lawyer, Mr Mundashe questioned why Mr Chilala was so sure that the evaluation process was above board when he testified that he had no control over the committee members’ movements or use of phones at Ibis Gardens
The Tribunal chairperson also carpeted the petitioner’s legal team for causing a vacuum after Makebi Zulu asked for an adjournment for more than an hour before the stipulated time for breaking off.
This was after Mr Harrington’s lawyers indicated that their last two witnesses of the day would only take the stand in the afternoon because they were coming from far flung areas
On Wednesday former ZAWA board chairperson Larry Kalala told the Tribunal that Attorney General, Mumba Malila advised that it was wrong for the minister to cancel the tender following a phone discussion.
Mr Kalala, 58, a Lusaka business executive of waterfalls subdivision Four, said he communicated the message from the Attorney General to the minister in her office.