— ZAWA dismayed at the levels of dishonesty among NGOs involved in wildlife

ZAWA dismayed at the levels of dishonesty among NGOs involved in wildlife

Lusaka,19th August, 2014, ZANIS —- The Zambia wildlife Authority (ZAWA) says it is dismayed at the level of the alleged dishonest by some Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in the wildlife industry.

ZAWA Communication and Public relations officer, Mwila Readith Muliyunda ,says some NGOs have gone to the extreme of claiming credit for ZAWAs works in their quest to appease donors .

Ms. Muliyunda said ZAWA last week collaborated with the Green Rural African Development (GRAD) and other sponsors to hold a conservation and education awareness initiative and fun day for the children in commemorating world lion day which she said an NGO claimed credit for.

She said a local NGO and its sister organization, Lion Encounter allegedly made false claims through an article posted on their website and made impression that they were behind the organization of the event when intact not.

ZANIS reports that Ms. Muliyunda said this in a statement released in  Lusaka, today.

She said for these NGO to claim credit for the occasion after its success turn out is completely outrageous, unfair and disrespectful to the real organizers and contributors.

She warned that the wildlife industry and Zambia as a whole is not a playground for some people who are interested only in accumulating personal wealth from well wishers and some NGOs whom she said are seeking selfish motives.

Ms. Muliyunda added  that the wildlife had for a long time been subjected to what she termed as shameless exploitation adding that it shall not be tolerated.

ZAWA has always been happy to give credit to deserving partners, any attempts by some organizations to reap where they did not sow will not be allowed, she said.

Ms. Muliyunda however said the Authority is very keen to partner with organizations that are honest ,fair and with genuine desire and passion for the conservation of the country’s wildlife and natural resources adding that this was critical for the benefit of the country and the continent at large.

She noted that Zambia and Africa hold the last hope for the preservation and sustainability of the environment, wildlife and natural resources and that the entire human species depended on the preservation and conservation of this limited resources for survival.

Ms. Muliyunda said the institutions such as ZAWA which are mandated to manage these resources locally shall not tolerate malicious individuals masquerading as interested stakeholders in the environmental protection and natural resources management.

Ms.Muliyunda said there is need for serious screening of NGOs to sieve out what she terms as the fluff.