By CHUSA SICHONE –
THE Forestry Department, under the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, has slapped a K51,000 fine on the owners of 10 trucks recently impounded for transporting timber illegally.
Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Harry Kalaba, who confirmed this yesterday, said more trucks were intercepted yesterday in Luangwa District.
Mr Kalaba said the trucks that were impounded in Lusaka had since been released upon the payment of the fine.
“So far from those that we impounded in Lusaka, we have raised K51, 000. They had to pay fines for the trucks to be released,” he said.
Mr Kalaba said the trucks were released last Friday and that the owners were fined according to the provisions of the law.
“But we have impounded a further seven trucks. Right now they are at the Forestry headquarters. The Forestry officers impounded them in Luangwa area,” Mr Kalaba said.
He said Government was intensifying patrols to ensure that it brought to book all the culprits that were perpetrating the indiscriminate cutting of trees.
He said the seven trucks impounded in Luangwa followed a patrol conducted on four highways led by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Ing’utu Suuba.
On the 15-year land dispute between Sable Transport Limited and Rufunsa District villagers, both Mr Kalaba and Sable Transport Limited managing director Iqbal Alloo confirmed in separate interviews that the issue had been resolved.
They, however, said heavy rains had prevented land surveyors from putting beacons.
On January 10, 2014, Mr Kalaba gave Mr Alloo, Commissioner of Lands Barnaby Mulenga and principal land surveyor Charles Pole a 20-day ultimatum in which to resolve the land dispute between Sable Transport Limited and the Rufunsa District villagers.
The villagers had accused Sable Transport Limited of encroaching on their land.