ZNBC Reporter threatened with death over controversial Legacy Hotel project

 

November 14, 2006, 2 days, 2 hours and 48 minutes ago.

 

By Mazuba Mwiinga

 

In a brink of heated debate over the controversial Legacy Holding and Country Club Project which should be built in the heart of Zambia’s Mosi-ao-Tunya National Park in tourist capital Livingstone, a Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) reporter has been threatened with death for allegedly filing in a television report which is allegedly biased towards discouraging people from supporting its construction.

 


In a brink of heated debate over the controversial Legacy Holding and Country Club Project which should be built in the heart of Zambia’s Mosi-ao-Tunya National Park in tourist capital Livingstone, a Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) reporter has been threatened with death for allegedly filing in a television report which is allegedly biased towards discouraging people from supporting its construction.


 


According to Police records Faith Kandaba, a reporter based at the Livingstone office of ZNBC, received the death threats yesterday evening after sending a report to the main studios in Lusaka which were highlighting some people’s views on the Project.


 


The report was based on the Environmental Assessment Impact forum submissions which were held at Maramba Community Hall in Livingstone, at which people were giving their views on whether or not Legacy Holdings Zambia and Country Club Estate Project should be allowed to construct their buildings in the middle of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park.


 


Kandaba received an anonymous call before knocking off late in the night saying she should not go home or she will be killed because her television report was biased towards discouraging people from supporting the project.


 


In an interview this morning, Kandaba confirmed the threats saying she has never been biased in her reporting. But one media consultant based in Livingstone, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being misunderstood showed concern on how some journalists fuse in their opinions in their reporting.


 


“It’s a pity that she (Kandaba) has been threatened on the basis of her reporting. I think it’s a learning point for her to look at how she does her reporting…. I have seen some reporters who really fuse in their opinions in their reporting so carelessly”, he said.


 


Legacy Holdings Zambia Limited and Country Club Estate Project have brought a lot of talk in Livingstone especially with the heated issue of casualization that has infiltrated the labor industry in the country. People have been saying that they have not benefited much from investment like the Sun International Hotel as most of the workers are not permanent or on contract.


 


The Project will cover a total area of 220 hectares of land and will include; a five Star Hotel with 280 rooms, an International Conference Room sitting 500 delegates, 100–seater restaurant, a car park, two tennis courts, an outside sitting area with about 250 seats and other associated facilities.


 


There will also be another five Star Hotel with 200 rooms and associated facilities; an eighteen - hole international signature standard golf course with 450 luxury villas, a country club, floodlit tennis courts, squash courts, water points and other associated facilities.


 


A conference center sitting about 1000 delegates, an arts and crafts center, a marina and a clinic and a doctor's room.

 

The operation phase will involve water supply & sewerage systems management, Pesticides & Toxic Substances management and solid & hazardous waste management by the Developer.


 


Mosi-oaTunya National Park is managed by the Zambian Wildlife Authority of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Service but land planning and development are controlled by the Livingstone City Council. Six national monuments in the park are in the care of the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC).


 


Several herds of elephant live in the Park. There are small herds of buffalo and blue wildebeests, as well as giraffe. There are also zebras, warthogs, and some bush pigs. Schools of Hippopotamus are common above the falls. Vervet monkey and baboon are common round the falls and lions and leopards are occasionally seen.


 


Six species of antelopes are common and six some also occur, or have been introduced, though recent droughts have decimated these.


 


The predominant vegetation is mopane forest with small areas of teak and miombo woodland, scrubland, savanna and a narrow band of riverine forest along the Zambezi. The mist-forest within the waterfall splash zone is of particular interest it is a fragile ecosystem of discontinuous rainforest on sandy alluvium, dependent upon the abundant water and high humidity from the spray plume.


 


Tree species within this forest include pod mahogany, ebony, strangler fig, Cape fig, ivory palm, Transvaal red milk wood, African olive, wild date palm Phoenix, water pear and Natal forest mahogany. 70 shrub and 150 herbaceous species are recorded for this rare local habitat.


 


Herbaceous species include Sebaea pentandra, Lobelia kirkii and Gladiolus unguiculatus, and the dense fern growth includes Cheilanthos farinosa.


 


One cardinal question people continuously ask is why the Livingstone City council cannot give the developer another site other than the Park to bring the controversy to an end, questioning why the developer has an interest in the Park.


 


AND Correspondent – Livingstone, Zambia.