The news that Zambia’s National Movement Against Corruption (NAMAC) is once more pursuing a case against four Zambian hunting safari companies for allegedly overshooting their game quotas is further evidence that some investors in the industry are being targeted for ‘termination’ – that being the ominous term now in vogue describing the removal of a hunting concession from an investor-concessionaire. After all, NAMAC lost their case against the same four in both the High Court and the Supreme Court of Zambia. Why then are they so determined to have these companies lose their hunting concessions. After all, overshooting a quota is not a criminal offence - merely a transgression to be dealt with firmly under the Hunting Concession Agreement. As one of the companies involved has already had its concession removed for no legal reason, even though the matter is before the courts; and another is the target of ‘termination’ because of its MD’s (me) anti-corruption whistleblowing activities, the Government appears intent on shooting off a big tourism toe, sending a message to the international community that Zambia continues to be a risky place to walk around barefoot. And these four companies have clients already waiting in the slips.

To this nonsense may be added the visa fiasco: Parliament announcing the cancellation of the visa-waiver system whereby tour operators/lodge owners who gave 24 hour notice of the arrival of tourists to Immigration would ensure their tourists entered free; and the summary massive increase in visa charges, later denied by the Minister of Tourism who charged rogue operators with spreading the story – though I have in my possession the Immigration notice of 26 January stating the charges: $140 for a single entry for a Brit - $442 for a multiple entry. Livingstone is now in the throes of a crisis. And then another thing…