CHISHIMBA BWALYA
Lusaka
LAVUSHIMANDA has potential to be ‘one of the greatest national parks the country has’ if it is given adequate attention, Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba has said.
Speaking when he addressed wildlife stakeholders, who included non-governmental organisations, last Friday, Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba said there was a need to replicate the success story of Liuwa Plain National Park onto Lavushimanda in Muchinga Province.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Lavushimanda is [a] virgin. Lavushimanda is the park that I strongly believe that in its current state and if it is just given a little tender loving care, I strongly believe that it will be one of the greatest national parks we have in our country alongside my favourite which is the Kafue National Park,” he said.
Mr Sikumba’s comments came in the wake of commending African Parks over the work done in Liuwa Plain National Park, while adding that Government was considering extending the same development to other wildlife facilities.
Liuwa Plain National Park has experienced a turnaround in wildlife population and tourism visits since its management was taken over by African Parks in 2004.
However, in stark contrast, Lavushimanda, despite having a suitable ecological set up for wildlife, has seen a major decline due to poaching over a similar period.
The situation has not been assisted by limited road infrastructure which has impeded tourism visits to the facility.
However, Government is looking to reignite life into the 1,500 square kilometre facility as part of a plan which could also include some of the other 20 national parks in the country.
“Our government is increasingly looking at landscape-wide management that fosters linkages. It is therefore important that we start to engage in the management of my almost-favourite park, Lavushimanda, by African Parks and the discussion obviously is just to create a semblance of a circuit because you can easily leapfrog into Lavushimaanda from Bangweulu.”
Mr Sikumba also reiterated Government’s plans to rehabilitate airports in six national parks across the country to improve accessibility for tourists.
The proposed changes, according to the minister, will also see increased marketing and wildlife.
“What we want to see is not to create haphazard products across the country but having you as partners, we should be able to create linkages that will speak to our tourism product which all of us will be able to enjoy.”
He said Government has devised mechanisms to increase resource mobilisation through enhancement of tax collection and levies, to foster development in the sector.
