We have had a very busy last couple of months and it is time to let you know what’s been happening. Welcome to our new members who have recently subscribed to CLZ. Musa Daya of Bundu Auto Repairs & Services, Lusaka has joined CLZ as a corporate member. New private members include Ada Browne, Annie McGill, Clare Ridgway Tracy Pieterse and Kellie Leigh. We will do our best to keep you all updated.

Many thanks to all Wildlife Patrol Officers (WPO’s) who continue to soldier along despite only being paid two months salary during the past five months.

On the 16th July ZAWA reinstated 3 regular scouts and 2 community scouts a total of five WPO’s now stationed at Malilansolo. This has helped to ease some of the problems Maziya Banda constantly faces due to lack of manpower.

On 5th July an Absolute Forfeiture Order came through from the Siavonga Magistrate for a Landcruiser that was confiscated by ZAWA at the end of 2000. This Landcruiser is to come to the Lower Zambezi Command as their second vehicle and will be stationed at Luangwa Boma.

Success over the last few months go to the following groups. Chinyunyu teams have 4 cases pending from arrests made at road blocks in Chinyunyu on the 15th and 16th June.

Patrol Team Buffalo I led by SWPO Kalukango apprehended 2 suspects and confiscated 19 kg of assorted meat.

Patrol Team Buffalo II led by SWPO Mwape also apprehended 2 suspects and confiscated 36 kgs dried meat.

Patrol Team Buffalo IV stationed at Chomba conducted a patrol in Luano GMA apprehending 5 suspects carrying 20 kg dried meat, 15 snares, 1 axe, 1 knife and 2 pots. Many thanks to honorary rangers Justin Kapembwa & Thomas Mwengwe who donated rations for their patrol.

Patrol Team Lion I have mainly been involved with Escort duties and revenue collection but did get out on 24th June when Godfrey Banda, Godfrey Hancombo and Stephen Mwanga accompanied by honorary WPO Mr. Marcerus apprehended 2 suspects on Siavonga Road carrying 46 bundles of elephant meat.

Patrol Team Lion II led by SWPO Maziya Banda whilst patrolling Out of Africa Plains in early July recovered 5 snares.

On 8th July Ranger Stephen Malungo, Justin Chomba and WPO Steven Mwanga apprehended 4 suspects carrying 6 1/2 pairs of Ivory, an AK47 and 16 rounds of ammunition. The suspects were traveling in a Landcruiser.

On 30th July SWPO Griffin Kalukango and honorary WPO Ian Stevenson were returning to Chinyunyu after deploying a patrol team when they were given information that an elephant had been poached and meat taken from the park last Thursday. They apprehended 1 suspect and confiscated a number of shot gun shells.

Well done teams!

"Bluebird" unfortunately has been out of action for the last couple of months. During a routine service a fault was found with the exhaust system and was sent to South Africa for repairs. All going according to plan she should be back in the sky by early August.

Thanks again to all operators who have provided assistance and support to ZAWA and CLZ. Everyone should now have a copy of the antipoaching reporting protocol. With rapid response being the way to go the sooner ZAWA receives your report the better!

3 months later and we still have the grader . . . please no one mention to Ministry of Works. Samuel Zulu our infamous grader operator has had a pretty easy couple of months with only 17 days work. No fault of his or the grader only that the road crew couldn’t keep up. The road to Mushika and Musensenshi is now completed and time has been spent grading the access roads to Observation Posts on Jeki and Inkalangi. The plan is to bring Sam back in early August to finish a loop on the north side of Inkalangi and do a bit of a tidy up on his way back to the Pontoon and Riccardo.

Happy Christmas he’s all yours!

Repeaters and Solar Panels were released to CLZ on the 13th June and transported direct to Lusaka for bench testing with CC Systems. Unfortunately we did not have the system re-installed until after the eclipse but it now seems to be working fine. As not all the solar panels were recovered and one that was recovered had been damaged the CLZ Valley All repeater now has a much smaller charging capacity than last year. Therefore we would appreciate all operators to help by only using the repeater when it is not possible to communicate on a simplex channel.

All agreed at the Lower Zambezi Operators meeting that the best time for the net would be Tuesdays at 1200 hrs. Just a reminder the net is a time to give information out and not a time for discussion. Valley Net is scheduled to begin on Tuesday 7th July at 1200hrs.

An enormous amount of preparation for a very special few minutes that has certainly put Lower Zambezi National Park on the map as one of Zambia’s leading tourist destinations. Thanks to cooperation between ZAWA, the Community,Lower Zambezi Operators, Local Businesses and CLZ the event ran smoothly with very little impact on environment. Perfect weather conditions and an exciting atmosphere completed a memorable occasion for not just the eclipse spotters but all involved. Thanks go to Gerry & Betty Carbin, Riccardo and Masstock for providing tractors and for their efforts coordinating the flow of traffic across the Kafue Pontoon. Special thanks to CLZ secretary Karen Clements for all her efforts organizing posters, flyers and donation boxes at Lusaka airport and the valley airstrips. And last but not least a big thank you to Royal Zambezi Lodge for their generous donation to CLZ for accommodating their extra guests during the eclipse.

A Community Resource Board (CRB) for Chiawa district has now been formed with a committee of 10 members elected. Mr. Sikala is the Chairman, Ms Katiyo Vice Chairman and the other 8 board members elected as representatives from each village. Funds raised from the CLZ donation Box on the Kafue Pontoon during eclipse period have assisted the setting up of the Chiawa CRB and covered some of their administration costs. CLZ contributed to the community for setting up their CRB. An additional contribution covered administration costs for the Chiawa Village Cultural show during the eclipse and has paid for a permanent shelter to be constructed for the Kailala Festival and for any future occasions and ceremonies. There are also plans to construct an information centre for Chiawa Village. Many thanks to Betty Carbin for her time and energy spent working with the community and facilitating the funds.

Great news to see how well the donation boxes are doing this season.The following donations have been collected over the last 2 months. Royal Zambezi USD 2.00

Chiawa Camp USD 60.00

Mwambashi USD 5.00

Kiubo USD 90.00

Sausage Tree USD200.00

Carbin USD 50.00

Chongwe Gate ZMK 20,100

CLZ Camp ZMK 1,850

CLZ Camp UKL 20.00

Very well done to all the above camps you have more than covered the costs of having the leaflets printed. Those names that do not appear, we look forward to seeing them in the next newsletter. Any camps requiring more leaflets please contact CLZ Base Camp.

Despite Ian & Lea thinking they had escaped the lodge business they have had a busy diary for the last 2 months at Base Camp.

7th June: Lower Zambezi Operators & Stakeholders Meeting.

15th June: Lower Zambezi Operators Committee (LZOC) Meeting. 19th to 24th July: Full camp during Eclipse.

1st & 2nd July: CC Systems Team in Camp to climb Chilapira.

2nd July: Accommodated ZAWA Group during Park Inspection.

19th to 21st July: Lower Zambezi Safari Guides Examinations.

20th to 23rd July: Accommodated ZAWA Parks and Planning Team.

Thanks again to Musa Daya of Bundu Auto Repairs & Services for his support with maintaining the ZAWA and CLZ fleet of vehicles. Riccardo, your fan club keeps growing! Once again you have given so much time and energy to CLZ. Our new aerial tower works a treat and the Toyoace is on the road again. Thanks mate, now do what the doctor ordered and take it easy.

A very successful series of lectures with written and practical examinations were held at CLZ Base Camp from the 19th to the 21st July. The examinations are based on a similar formula to that of South Luangwa. The purpose being to create a safe and high standard of guiding in the valley. ZAWA have indicated that they are willing to endorse Lower Zambezi Safari Guides Licences to the extent that as of 01 January 2002 all guides guiding in the National Park and GMA must hold a valid Safari Guides Licence. For all those that did not have the opportunity to attend it is hoped that another series of lectures and examinations will take place at the end of this season. Thanks to Edwin Matokwani, Grant Cumings, Ian Sailsbury, Chris Liebenberg, Ian Stevenson, Dean McGregor and Garth Hovell for their time spent organising, lecturing and examining the candidates. Congratulations and well done to all successful candidates.

© Afrikeye 1999 - 2007 (certain items under permission of original copyright owner)

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