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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
THE country has recorded a drop in cutting down of trees during the prevailing lockdown, an official has said.
In an interview, Forestry Commission General Manager, Mr Abedinigo Marufu said reports of firewood poachers that were intercepted with truck loads of firewood had dropped drastically. He said there were, however, isolated cases of people that were cutting commercial timber from plantations but they were being apprehended.
“The lockdown has done a lot of good when we are looking at the state of forests and deforestation. Cutting of firewood has been a major problem leading to deforestation. On a daily basis we usually have our officers intercepting trucks carrying loads of firewood. Some of the people who will be transporting the firewood are tobacco farmers who need firewood for tobacco curing,” he said.
“Some of these loads will be for people that sell firewood others will be for people that use their firewood in their businesses such as restaurant owners. We were also recording reports of firewood vendors that sell firewood along the road. With the prevailing lockdown these activities have dropped. Firewood vendors don’t have markets for their firewood which is a good development. Availability of electricity during the lockdown has also helped the situation.”
Mr Marufu said there are a few cases of people targeting timber.
“We have incidences, especially in Lupane, where poachers harvest teak timber but they are quickly arrested as their cases have dropped. In the northern parts of the country in Kanyemba and Muzarabani in Mashonaland Central and also in Hwange in Matabeleland North we have people that are cutting mopane trees to make charcoal which they later sell at growth points,” he said.
“There are also a few reports in Manicaland of poachers who harvest commercial timber in concessions during the night and some of it is taken to Bulawayo. Our officers are on the ground to ensure such people are brought to book.”
Mr Marufu also raised a concern over cases of people that were cutting down mopane trees in Matabeleland South Province, especially in Gwanda to harvest mopane worms.
He said there was an environmentally friendly way of harvesting mopane worms but some people were cutting down trees in order to quickly harvest and leave.
Mr Marufu said the fire season was about to start and farmers must start preparing fireguards to protect woodlots although this might be difficult due to the lockdown. He said timber production has been affected as manufacturers of timber products were closed.
Mr Marufu said tree planting activities had also stopped.
He said despite the challenges people are encouraged to continue planting trees in their surroundings. — @DubeMatutu
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