adminTawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Poachers and charcoal vendors are allegedly on the prowl in the wildlife-rich Save Valley Conservancy where they have started wildfires that have consumed more than 20 000 hectares of vegetation. The rampaging fires at Save Valley have, however, gone down in the current fire season compared to last year.
The fire season runs from July 31 to October 31 annually.
Chiredzi District Environmental Management Agency officer Mr Peter Mugodi said the damage caused by fires at Save Valley and other parts of Chiredzi was worrying.
“We responded to a fire which our teams picked from Ward 24 in Chiredzi North Constituency,” he said. “More than 20 000ha of vegetation was destroyed by veld fires. We visited the area and established that the fires were caused by the people who are into poaching. ‘’Further investigations also revealed that there is runaway burning of our exotic trees by vendors who are extracting charcoal which has a lucrative market in Checheche.’’
Mr Mugodi said veld fires started during land preparation by farmers were also causing considerable damage to the environment in Gudo Communal Lands where a farmer was recently fined two goats at the Community Court for destroying 25 hectares of vegetation.
Online Reporter