Conflict Between Presidents In Zambia

The conflict between the current and former presidents of Zambia continues to boil over. The latest news is, current president Frederick Chiluba has had former president Kenneth Kaunda placed under house arrest, pending the possible filing of charges against him in connection with an abortive coup attempt late last year. The dicey political situation bears watching, but there is apparently little chance it is going to get out of control and become a factor in deciding where to hunt next season. In fact, the political turmoil may be masking the fact that Zambia has quietly been producing mostly good safaris of late. I have that from Mike Faddy, Chairman of the Professional Hunters Association of Zambia, who said late last month that the safari industry had just had a three-day meeting which was quite upbeat. "There was a lot of talk about dwindling wildlife stocks and poaching, but overall most of the operators were very pleased with their seasons, and the quality of the trophies they took," Faddy said, noting good lions were among the brightest spot.

He went on to say the international hunting community should be aware that Zambia is about to announce a major reorganization of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. In effect, the wildlife department is going to be replaced by a quasi-private (or para-statal) organization that will be mandated to pay its own way. All hunting-related and wildlife tourism-related revenue will go straight to the new para-statal, bypassing the government entirely. Current wildlife department employees will be given the option of remaining in the government in new positions or applying for jobs with the para-statal. On the positive side, the new private entity should have more money at its disposal for anti-poaching and other projects, as its fund flows will be more open to outside audit. It will also be free to develop radically new hunting and tourism programs, perhaps even extending to the creation of hunting blocks within national parks. The latter idea, incidentally, has been seriously discussed.

On the negative side, the potential will exist under the new set-up........(continued)