Ms Masebo’s directive signifies that all the hunting proceeds from outfitters (safari hunting companies) will not be placed in one account, as has been the case. The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) Act No. 12 of 1998 identifies CRBs as partners with ZAWA in wildlife conservation and that they should equally share the hunting licence proceeds. Ms Masebo’s instruction was arrived at following submissions made by various stakeholders in six groups, among them traditional leaders, who are the custodians of the GMA land, who proposed that safari outfitters should pay money directly to them and not through ZAWA.

“On the payment mode, we shall continue with the status quo (50-50 per cent), but will not go with business, as usual. ZAWA will open a separate account for the CRBs, but it will not have access to the account. That, we shall do with immediate effect,” she said. Ms Masebo observed that although there was a Statutory Instrument (SI) currently in place on the safari outfitters depositing the hunting proceeds in one account, Ms Masebo said that could be changed even “within seven days”.

The concession lease agreement period proved to be a contentious issue, prompting Ms Masebo to call for a voting process, resulting in those in support of the agreement going up to 10 years winning the process as they polled 77 votes, while those for five years, which included more than 15 chiefs present, got 66 votes.

The outcome prompted an unidentified chief to rise and ask Ms Masebo to issue a ministerial statement to resolve the matter, arguing that traditional leaders were owners of the land and thus should decide the duration of the lease agreement.

Ms Masebo in response said on such issues, Government was guided by the people, which was the case during the stakeholders’ meeting, adding that a consensus was a way of proceeding on the matter and assured the traditional leader that she would later offer her guidance on the matter.

Ms Masebo also warned of termination of lease agreements for those operators whose activities were found not to be benefitting the communities they operated in following an assessment process by the chiefs, CRBs and ZAWA after three years.