ZATO calls for increased funding to heritage institutions

By Chali Mulenga in Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia 

THE Zambian Association of Indigenous Tour Operators (ZATO) Secretary General (GS) Kelvin Mwelwa is urging Government to prioritise funding for key heritage institutions, warning that the proposed National Heritage and Culture Week will have limited impact if structural challenges affecting the sector remain unresolved.

Mr. Mwelwa said while the introduction of a National Heritage and Culture Week is a welcome move, it will not address longstanding challenges that have incapacitated the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC), thus a clarion call on Tourism Minister, Rodney Malindi Sikumba, currently serving as United Party for National Development (UPND) Livingstone Central Member of Parliament (MP) to source sufficient resources.

“While the introduction of national heritage and culture week sounds to be a positive move, it will not impact on resounding issues that have incapacitated NHCC’s ability to improve its sites around the country,” Mwelwa said.

Mwelwa said for the initiative to make meaningful impact, Government must first ensure the commission is fully funded and supported to enhance its capacity to maintain and develop heritage sites.

“If this is to make any meaningful impact, Government must first start by fully funding the commission and raising support funds for the institution so that its capacity to improve existing sites around the country is made possible,” Mwelwa said.

Mwelwa noted that in its current state, the commission lacks adequate finances and mobility to be fully functional.

“In its current state, we strongly believe that the institution lacks finances and mobility to be fully functional,” Mwelwa said.

Mwelwa urged Government to adopt deliberate policies to ensure adequate resources are ploughed back into sector institutions such as NHCC and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), which generate significant revenue.

“Government must come up with a deliberate policy to plough back adequate funds into these sector institutions such as NHCC and DNPW where they collect much revenue,” Mwelwa said.

Mwelwa warned that continued revenue collection without reinvestment weakens the institutions’ productivity and contribution to tourism.

“Like the saying goes, you reap where you sow. One cannot keep reaping from these institutions without fully funding them so that they become more productive and contribute fully to tourism development,” Mwelwa said.

Mwelwa stressed the need to recapitalise the institutions before focusing on promotional activities.

“We need to recapitalise these institutions first before we can see any meaningful progress from what they represent in the tourism sector. Then we can talk about promotional issues and institutional recognition,” Mwelwa said.

Mwelwa said ZATO supports the proposed heritage and culture week but emphasised that institutional challenges must be addressed first.

“We are not undermining the proposition of the proposed National Heritage and Culture Week, it is a good idea, but let us resolve the institutional challenges first, the major one being lack of funds to maintain and develop heritage sites,” Mwelwa said.

Mwelwa added that stakeholders should work together with Government to raise the status of heritage sites and promote cultural values.

“We need to have pride in our natural resources. Together with Government, let us put in our best in raising the status of our heritage sites and cultural values,” Mwelwa said.