Compensate Barotse victims - SACCORD
By Mwala Kalaluka
Tue 29 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT
The government must compensate all the people whose rights were violated during the Barotseland conflict, says Lee Habasonda.
Commenting on the amputation of Mongu resident Davison Siyoto's right leg after his kneecap was shattered during police shootings in Mongu on January 14, 2011, Habasonda, who is Southern Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes SACCORD executive director, said all victims needed to be compensated by the government.
“While we appreciate that the government is undertaking government business, there is need, at the end of the day, to be human in the manner they treat Zambians,” Habasonda said in an interview.
“The amputation of Mr Siyoto’s leg sends chilling effects throughout the country where the leadership doesn’t seem to care for people it thinks offended them. And it is SACCORD’s belief that the government must compensate, not only Siyoto, but all the people whose rights were violated during the Barotseland conflict.”
Habasonda said President Rupiah Banda must actually declare an amnesty for all those people that were arrested during the fracas in Mongu.
“We had written President Banda about these matters but now I am saying that we are publicly appealing to the President to give amnesty to all the Barotse loyalists,” he said.
Habasonda said such a move would help reduce the tension that was currently existing between the government and the people of Western Province.
He said this being an election year, there was need for the government to take deliberate steps to reduce tension wherever it can.
During the Mongu fracas, two people were shot dead and several others were injured whilst another took his life out of fear of arrest.
Vice-President George Kunda last month in Parliament justified the killings and use of live ammunition by police in Mongu, saying police officers are allowed to use firearms in exceptional circumstances.
Labels: BAROTSE FREEDOM MOVEMENT, COMPENSATION, LEE HABASONDA, SACCORD
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Banana farmers won’t be compensated - Kazonga
By Bright Mukwasa and Mutale Kapekele
Sat 12 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT
THE
government will not compensate ba-nana farmers whose infected plantations are earmarked for destruction, says agriculture minister Dr Eustarkio Kazonga.
Making a ministerial statement in Parliament on Wednesday, Dr Kazonga said the banana bunchy top disease (BBTD), which had spread to other provinces apart from Southern Province, was negatively affecting banana farmers.
“The government has no plan to compensate the farmers once it destroys diseased plants as it is for their own good,” Dr Kazonga said.
He said the disease, the origin of which was unknown, had forced some farmers to abandon banana cultivation.
“The potential for banana production in Zambia is very high, estimated at 60 metric tonnes per hectare annually. This potential is under threat by the spread of BBTV,” he said.
He said surveys carried out in 2009 and last year indicated the presence of the disease about 11 years ago in Chipata, although it was reported less than ten years ago in other districts.
Dr Kazonga said the government was encouraging farmers to apply stringent control measures, including the uprooting and destruction of infected crops as a control measure.
He said the government was facing a challenge in controlling the disease because of a lack of a reliable source of disease materials.
“In 2007, a survey of 20 farms covering about 212 hectares of farms under banana cultivation in Central and Copperbelt provinces revealed a 65 per cent infection,” he said.
Dr Kazonga the government would establish a farmer-based banana seed system through production of tissue cultured disease-free planting materials.
BBTD has been identified in Lusaka, Southern, Central, Copperbelt and Luapula provinces.
The disease is transmitted by a virus called banana bunchy top virus.
Labels: COMPENSATION, EUSTARKIO KAZONGA, FARMERS
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'No compensation for people killed by animals'
By Lambwe Kachali
Saturday September 15, 2007 [04:00]
PEOPLE that are being killed by wild animals cannot be compensated because there is no provision for that in the Constitution, Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) director general Dr Lewis Saiwana has said. In an interview, Dr Saiwana said the issue of compensating people killed by wild animals has failed in many countries.
Dr Saiwana said it was difficult to assume the value of human life. “How do you compensate a human being killed by an animal? This is impossible because there is no unit that determines the value or cost of human life,” Dr Saiwana said.
“Many countries including Botswana, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana have failed to do that.”
He said unless Parliament enacted such a law, ZAWA would not compensate anybody killed by wild animals.
“It is not our fault. This is a matter of law. If there can be an act in our constitution supporting the compensation, then ZAWA will abide by it,” he said.
However, Dr Saiwana said ZAWA would present recommendations to the Ministry of Tourism to ascertain the extent to which the ZAWA Act could be revised.
He said it was important that people were sensitised on the repercussions of illegal hunting.
And asked why ZAWA’s park fees were lower compared to other countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, Dr Saiwana said:
“I think there is a lapse on the part of ZAWA. We know that the country is losing billions of money through park fees.
Our fees are far below as compared to even our neighbouring Zimbabwe. This is why we cannot improve on the infrastructure like roads in the national parks. ZAWA is charging as less as US$3 on tourists visiting the national parks and Game Reserve areas.”
Dr Saiwana admitted that Zambia was losing huge sums of money in the wildlife sector.
“The country is not benefiting from the sector as it was supposed to,” said Dr Saiwana.
Labels: COMPENSATION, ZAWA
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