Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
AFRICAN traditional leaders, including Zimbabwe’s Chief Mvuthu, Silibantu Mlotshwa, are meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, to strengthen wildlife conservation and develop strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The three-day African Traditional Leaders Conservation Network Summit, which began on October 27, brings together traditional authorities from across Africa to discuss conservation challenges, protection of wildlife habitats and community livelihoods.
The meeting, supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), is focusing on the role of traditional leaders in natural resource management, community mobilisation and promoting co-existence between people and wildlife.
Chairperson of Zambia’s House of Chiefs, Chief Bunda Bunda, said traditional leaders remain important partners in natural resource governance because of their responsibilities under national laws and their influence within communities.
“In countries such as Zambia, where dual governance structures exist, traditional leaders remain indispensable partners in natural resource governance,” he said.
“Laws and policies assign chiefs important responsibilities. Beyond those, traditional leaders are custodians of indigenous knowledge systems and guiding communities in managing natural resources.”
Chief Mlotshwa said the summit provides an opportunity for traditional leaders to exchange experiences and identify practical solutions to human-wildlife conflict in their respective chiefdoms.
“We come together as traditional leaders to discuss conservation, promote the concept of Room to Roam for both people and wildlife, and explore ways to reduce human-wildlife conflict,” she said.
IFAW’s Room to Roam initiative seeks to protect wildlife habitats across Africa while ensuring that communities benefit from conservation.
Traditional leaders are expected to strengthen cooperation on conservation approaches that take into account the needs of communities living alongside wildlife.
Zambia’s shared wildlife landscapes with neighbouring countries also show the importance of cross-border collaboration in protecting biodiversity and promoting human-wildlife co-existence.
The summit ends on Friday, with participants expected to reinforce their collective role in conservation and the sustainable management of natural resources.
