adminStephen Ephraem
WHEN President Robert Mugabe assumed office in 1980, one of his first concerns was preservation of forests. He declared the first Saturday of each December as a National Tree Planting Day.
This year’s national event was commemorated at Chikurubi Prison Farm in Harare last Saturday.
President Mugabe didn’t plant his tree at the Chikurubi function as the norm, but deferred it to this week in Victoria Falls where he is expected to officially open the ZANU-PF 15th National People’s Annual conference today (Friday).
Velvet Wild Medlar known as Munzviru in Shona and Umviyo in Ndebele is being planted as this season’s “tree of the year.”
The tree planting events, which were held across the country last Saturday, were being led by government representatives.
Various government departments planted own trees.
Manicaland provincial commemorations took place at Madziro Village in Honde Valley, while people thronged Mawunganidze Irrigation Scheme near Birchnough Bridge for the Chipinge District celebrations.
In his speech read by Chipinge District Administrator Mr Edgars Seenza at Mawunganidze, President Robert Mugabe said: “We are gathered here to witness the planting of the first tree for the season and I challenge you to follow my lead – plant your trees but do not end at tree planting.
“Go a step further by nurturing the trees and forests you have planted and protect them from veld fires and indiscriminate tree cutting. . .My government has set a tree planting target of 75 million trees which translates to 45 000 hectares in the next five years, of which 30 000 hectares will be planted by tobacco farmers.”
President Mugabe further indicated that forest destruction has a negative bearing on our economy.
“Veld fires destroy forests, grasslands, property and human lives.
“When forests have been destroyed by veld fires, it puts a burden on the nation to ensure that these forests are replanted.”
The President was spot on. Veld fires and indiscriminate tree cutting of trees puts unnecessary pressure on the government.
The timber industry used to contribute 4 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, employing 4 000 people directly in saw mills and 2 000 down stream.
Now, government revenues have dwindled due to a litany of challenges the timber industry is facing.
Veld fires top the list.
This year Manicaland lost 67 909 hectares of forests to veld fires.
On average a hectare holds 350 indigenous trees or 2 000 exotic trees. The lost 67 909 hectares translates to 23 768 150 of indigenous trees or 135 818 000 of exotic trees.
According to the Forestry Commission, the country expects to plant 7,5 million trees and Manicaland will 980 000 trees with Chipinge District planting 300 000 trees.
If Manicaland has lost more than what the whole country intents to reforest, doesn’t it mean that all the trees to be established this season shall not have a positive impact on our reforestation exercise?
Forests are destroyed faster than they are established.
Doesn’t this call for a tough stance by government on forest poachers and arsonists?
The country should not forget that whatever happens to Manicaland forests has a bearing to the whole of Zimbabwe.
If we cannot declare such acts of forests destruction as a national disaster, how many more hectares should we expect to lose in Manicaland so that we can start classifying it as a purple triangle zone?
Formulation of Zimbabwe’s National Forest Policy is still underway.
Isn’t it ideal for the policy to quantify the least number of forest hectares which can be classified as a national disaster whenever they are destroyed in one season?
Can’t the 67 909 hectares or 135 million trees destroyed in Manicaland this season qualify for disaster classification?
While the relevant ministry of Environment, Water and Climate waits for the completion of the National Forest Policy by June next year, it should seek ways of engaging ministry of Defense to help in flashing out arsonists who gutted commercial forests in Manicaland, maybe starting with Chimanimani.
Communities have been protective of the arsonists to the point that Forestry Commission, Environmental Management Agency and Zimbabwe Republic Police could not break the defensive culture that the communities developed.
Defense forces have made a breakthrough in the elephant cyanide poisoning that took place in Hwange.
Similar results might be yield if defense forces are engaged in the Eastern Highlands plantations.
Online Reporter