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Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has opened 23 dockets and issued 226 tickets with farmers paying between $30 000 and $50 000 for failure to put in place standard fireguards and for starting fires that caused extensive damage to the environment and property.
EMA has, since the second week of August, been carrying out a veld fire blitz countrywide with priority being put on hotspots Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central.
The major thrust of the operation is on law enforcement which include veld fire investigations, prosecution and checking on compliance to fire guard construction.
EMA education and publicity manager, Mrs Amkela Sidange said the agency had also served a total of 4 731 environmental protection orders to farmers before the onset of the veld fire season reminding them to construct standard fire guards around their properties for protection against veld fires during the fire season.
“Farmers and landowners should understand that fireguards are not only a legal requirement but a basic tool in veld fire management meant to protect their environment, property and life from veld fires. Thus, the onus remains squarely on them to ensure that these are in place at the appropriate time and are adequate as advised by the EMA and other technical departments such as Forestry Commission and AGRITEX.
“Following an assessment by EMA, compliance level in fireguard construction remains low ranging between 5,6 percent in Chikomba district in Mashonaland East where the blitz exercise started, and rising at a steady low to about 54,3 percent as the operation spread into Manicaland, Mashonaland West and Central,” she said.
Mrs Sidange said lack of standard fireguards remained a major driver of increase in loses to veld fires.
Since the onset of the statutory veld fire season on July 31, Zimbabwe has recorded a total of 536 veld fire incidents that burnt 180 787.01 hectares of land.
“EMA is calling upon the public to assist in veld fire investigations and share critical information that can enable identification of offenders and allow for prosecution to take course.
“EMA is continuing with education and awareness campaigns, targeting mainly the travelling public through roadblocks along major highways to encourage motorists to use ash trays in their cars to place cigar stubs and not throw outside vehicles as this can cause road servitude veld fires which have a potential not only to destroy the environment but also cause road traffic accidents due to poor visibility,” she said.
Mrs Sidange said a total of 801 vehicles were accessed along the Harare-Bindura and Harare Kariba roads during the last week.
The agency also reached out to the travelling public and discouraged them against lighting fires at bus stops to warm themselves as they wait for transport and motorists during a breakdown, as these fires, if left unattended, have a potential to cause veld fires.
“Veld fire prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Play your part as we forge towards achieving the aspirations of the National Development strategy (NDS1) of reducing loses to veld fires by 2025,” she said.
Online Reporter