This documents is signed by 27 villagers who worked for the Luembe based Wildlife Police Officer cum poacher and thief, Benson Mwale, in exchange for the elephant meat he had poached. He, and other fellow ZAWA poachers, have not been suspended, let alone prosecuted.
15 February 2008
Lakwisha says that Zambians who live on less than a dollar a day need to eat elephant meat, therefore the end justifies the means i.e. killing elephant. So, to the bushfolk's everyday burden of survival with very slender support services (primary health-care, basic education, clean water...) must be added that of being a criminal. But these are Zambian civil servants who are poaching, not villagers; and applications by the community for harvesting rights of game such as impala - despite it being their right under the Wildlife Act of 1998, have been refused. Where to now Lakwisha?
1 comment:
I'm a Zambian living abroad in case you don't know 80% of the Zambian population live on less than a dollar a day. Have compassion for a fellow human being people are poaching because they are poor, desperate and hungry. I'm happy to read that the poachers and Zawa poachers haven't been suspended or prosecuted for poaching. Human life is more valuable than animal life...
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