Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in LIVINGSTONE, Zambia
Sadc executive Secretary Elias Magosi has called for urgent expansion of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (Kaza TFCA) Uni Visa to all member states as the pilot project has been successful.
Giving remarks on the importance of the TFCAs in the Sadc region, Mr Magosi said Sadc is committed to helping member states in their agenda, particularly on the ban on trade in wildlife products by the Cites.
“Let’s identify alternative channels for trading our wildlife products. One other area is the Kaza Uni visa, I would like to commend Zimbabwe and Zambia who pioneered the Uni Visa. It should be expanded to all Kaza member states, time is now, it works,” he said.
He was speaking at the official opening of the 2024 Kaza Heads of State and Government Summit where five heads of State are present.
The KAZA TFCA is a conservation area, spanning five Southern African countries Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe with a population of three million people and 227 900 elephants centred around the Caprivi-Chobe-Victoria Falls corridor.
It has a total of 520,000 km2 and about 70 percent of land is under conservation, with 103 wildlife management areas, 85 forest reserves and three world heritage sites.
Sadc is a 16-member bloc covering over 7 million square kilometres of land.
More to follow…
Bongani Ndlovu