Source: Chamisa denounces high kapenta fishing fees – NewsDay Zimbabwe
BY OBERT SIAMILANDU
CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) president Nelson Chamisa has urged the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) to reduce kapenta fishing fees in Lake Kariba saying they were too exorbitant and deferred ordinary citizens from eking out a living from their natural resource.Addressing party members at a thank-you rally in Kariba on Sunday, Chamisa said: “People in Kariba have their own problems. ZimParks is charging exorbitant fees which are beyond the reach of many, and citizens are suffering as a result of these exorbitant charges,” Chamisa said.
“The tourism industry is no longer functional and the fisheries sector is not working. Some were promised that they would receive accommodation in Kariba, but up to now they have not benefited,” he said.
It costs up to US$1 200 per annum to operate a fishing rig on Lake Kariba, while ordinary people pay US$1 to US$5 per fishing rod per day. In neighbouring South Africa, a fishing licence costs anything up to R94 per annum.
Chamisa said Kariba was supposed to have its own tertiary college for the benefit of local communities.
“Kariba has no vocational training college, and this has been a deterrent to education in the district. When we get voted into power, tourism will come out of the doldrums through our good policies. Our people from Kariba are crossing to Zambia to get cheap commodities. When the CCC party gets into office, we will heal the local economy,” he said.
COMMENTS