According to Lands Minister ELIJAH MUCHIMA, the administration intends to protect forests rather than de-gazette them.
When Mr. MUCHIMA responded to inquiries in Parliament on Kawena Forest and Forest 27, he claims he was misquoted.
He claims that while Section 11 of the Lands Acquisition Act gives the Presidency the authority to de-gazette forests for the sake of the public interest, the Forest Act of 2015 grants the Presidency the authority to declare any location a forest.
At a press conference in Lusaka today, Mr. MUCHIMA explained to journalists that he actually meant to indicate that a forest may be de-gazetted due to a growing population and other compelling reasons, not that the government would do so in order to accommodate the desired population.
He claimed that those who invade woods in an effort to make land suitable for settlement are breaking the law.
