New land laws to protect Kasungu National Park

Kasungu District Council says plans are in the pipeline to implement new land laws to prevent communities from encroaching into Kasungu National Park.

Kasungu district commissioner James Kanyangalazi said this on Friday during a meeting with communities.

He said they will implement the initiative with support from the Government of Flanders through Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Said Kanyangalazi: “The initiative will ensure communities surrounding the protected areas register their land parcels.

“Among the laws that we are implementing is the Customary Land Act of 2016 as amended in 2022. One of such ambitions is the customary land registration. This is the initiative that will make sure that communities surrounding the protected areas such as Kasungu National Park, register their land parcels.”

He said they have already sensitised all communities residing along boundaries of protected areas about the initiative.

“During the sensitisation meetings, communities are also informed of the adverse consequences of unlawful use or cultivation in these protected areas,” said Kanyangalazi.

Kasungu National Park manager Ndaona Kumanga said encroachment was a big challenge that has affected the park.

“Encroachment is one of the issues that we are addressing. In both sides of Zambia and Malawi, people are extending their farms into the protected area. This is a very big challenge in the park,” he said.

Kumanga said Chisinga side in the Northern tip of the park is the most affected side where they arrested some people two years ago