Over 1000 Mukula tree deserted, impounded in Kapiri Mposhi

Police in Kapiri Mposhi district  have seized over 1000 logs of the Mukula tree which were deserted by unknown people at Luanshimba in Chief Nkole’s area along the Great North Road.

District Commissioner, Beatrice Sikazwe who confirmed the development to ZANIS today said the logs of the Mukula tree are believed to have been illegally harvested in Serenje and Mkushi districts in Central Province.

Ms Sikazwe who rushed to Luanshimba where police had been loading the logs on two trucks for transportation to Kapiri Mposhi police station, said the logs were dumped around 01:00 hours today.

The District Commissioner suspected the illegal dealers could have abandoned the logs upon noticing they would be intercepted at the recently launched scanner at the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Customs Enforcement Centre along the Great North Road in Kapiri Mposhi.

She said police were alerted after a tip-off from people in surrounding villages who woke-up to discover three stacks of deserted Mukula tree in their village.

“We have discovered over 1000 logs of the Mukula tree deserted by unknown people and police have launched investigations into the matter as the suspects are still at large,” Ms Sikazwe said. 

And Chief Nkole of the Swaka speaking people in Kapiri Mposhi has advised government to intensify security operations in the country to prevent illegal trade in the Mukula tree and timber.

Chief Nkole noted that for some time now, little attention has been paid to monitoring how the country’s valuable timber resource such as the Mukula tree have been exiting the country and how the timber industry has been operating in general. 

The traditional leader observed that because of lack of proper security and delay in enforcing the law against illegal timber trade, the Mukula tree was now on the verge of extinction because of indiscriminate harvesting due to its valuable properties.

“I don’t know what took is taking us long to stop illegal harvesting of the Mukula tree which is a very valuable tree species and unique to our country,  but having now known we should all rise against the trade in this species,” Chief Nkole said.

He called on government to work with traditional leaders and other partners in curbing the illegal harvesting of Mukula tree.

The Mukula tree, whose scientific name is Pterocarpus chrysothrix, is believed to be most valuable due to its huge medicinal and wood properties.

The Mukula tree is on high demand on the international market pushing for its indiscriminate cutting mostly in Central and Eastern provinces of Zambia by people who are selling it to traders who later on export the commodity.