adminTalent Chimutambgi Review Writer
By now everybody appreciates the importance of trees in our livelihoods, more importantly, the role they play in absorbing greenhouse gasses which harm the ozone layer. Greenhouse gases are the major cause of climate change which is a threat to the world’s food security. For this reason, the Forestry Commission (FC) has urged church leaders to spearhead community programmes to plant and conserve trees. This was revealed in Chitungwiza at Zion Christian Church (ZCC) Wellness Centre, where FC partnered with the churches to launch a tree planting ceremony in preparation for this year’s National Tree Planting Day on December 5.
Acting chairperson of Forestry Commission Board, Commissioner Rose Mukogo said people in the rural areas were plagued by the consequences of indiscriminately cutting down of trees. It would take a long time to restore and rehabilitate devastated forests.
“People usually take for granted the reportage of tree planting,” she said. “There is need to study the crucial role trees play in the environment to mitigate climate change. Don’t change the climate before it changes you. Now we have descended to churches so that we partner with them as an awareness campaign to let the people know the importance of trees. Church leaders command great multitudes therefore our message will be clearly grasped, as what we have done with ZCC today,” said Ms Mukogo.
She added; “Forestry Commission as a technical and extension service department will ensure all churches establish their own nurseries for future sustainable supply of seedlings of their own choice. What you have done here, ZCC, is kick starting the National Tree Panting, which will be on December 5 2015.”
Ms Mukogo said in April this year the FC had been in Mbungu in Masvingo where ZCC is head-quartered for a tree planting ceremony. She revealed that FC had not also partnered with Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, and Christ Embassy as well.
At AFM in Masvingo, FC planted 100 trees as the church was celebrating its 100th Anniversary, and at Christ Embassy the Forestry Commission planted 910 indigenous, shed and decorative trees. She said they planned to engage other churches such as the United Family International Church (UFIC) led by Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa, ZAOGA FIF, and Heartfelt International Ministries, among others.
“Trees combat climate change; I have been challenged by the ZCC because tree planting is an ingredient of worshipping God. We went to Mbungu in April this year and planted trees, and at Rufaro in Masvingo we planted 100 fruit trees which included oranges, lemon, mangoes, among others, while AFM was celebrating its 100th Anniversary in August this year. I therefore urge all churches to follow suit so that we may all mitigate climate change as a unified force,” said Ms Mukogo.
ZCC leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, represented by vice chairman, Mr Tinos Mudiwa, said the occasion was prophetic because the founder, the late Bishop Samuel Mutendi, had received his prophetic call in 1930 under trees which were identified as Mumvee, Mutarara, and Mukute. He said he was happy because the first two trees became trees of the year respectively a few years ago.
“During the early years of this church, ZCC in the 1930s, trees were used as benchmarks, this significantly shows that trees play a symbolical role in the history of the church. This tree planting ceremony is rather a fulfilment of the ancient prophecies,” said Mr Mudiwa.
He said planting trees was one of the easiest and most sustainable solutions to climate change. He mentioned the vital roles which trees play such as moderating the heat of the sun and reduction of wind speed, as well as prevention of soil erosion. Mr Mudiwa said tree planting was an ancient Jewish tradition. In emphasising the importance of trees, he quoted from the bible in the book of Genesis chapter 1 verse 11.
“Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their seed. The earth brought vegetation, plants yielding seed of their kind, and trees bearing fruits with seeds in them after God saw that it was good.” He said global warming had left its dangerous impact on the international environment. He pledged that ZCC would work with other churches and other stakeholders and individuals to achieve the objectives of protecting the environment, adding it’s a joint responsibility where there had be a balance between utilisation of forests and their management.
“We need to strike a balance between utilisation of forests and management of our forests, and the country is losing several hectares of forests due to deforestation. It takes years for them to regain their original state.
“In ZCC, the keeping of the environment has become a joint concern for everybody in the church due to repeated teachings from His Grace Bishop Dr N Mutendi,” said Mr Mudiwa. Commissioner Mukogo said guarding of trees was a testimony of the history of tree planting as far back as creation, and this is the reason Bishop Samuel Mutendi saw it fit that his church should follow the bible.
“The Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 that God planted a garden in Eden in the east where he placed the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord made all kinds of trees grow; trees that were pleasing to eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” said Comm Mukogo.
Forestry Commission Deputy General Manager Conex, Mr Abedinico Marufu, revealed that tobacco farmers had for some time been causing serious deforestation, and to curb that, he said the Forestry Commission was currently working with tobacco merchants to mitigate deforestation under the auspices of Sustainable Afforestation Association (SSA).
He said SAA normally deals with commercial farmers to acquire land to plant trees then the Forestry Commission visits the place to provide education on tree planting. He added this education was targeted traditional leaders on how to rehabilitate the deforested forests.
“We are ambassadors we need to win recognition of traditional leaders; though educating them on how to maintain forests is an uphill task. It takes time for the awareness to be understood,” said Mr Marufu. We had a program in schools called Tree Growing Tree Care (TGTC) which we are looking forward to revive soon. It was a way of encouraging schools and motivating them to have the desire to grow trees and maintain them and the best school would scoop a prize for that,” he said.
He said in China, on a fiscal policy review, the government allocates a certain amount we goes only towards growing of trees and maintaining them. Mr Marufu added that the penalties given to the people found cutting down trees indiscriminately are not meant to punish them, it’s a way of educating them on how these trees are valuable.
“It’s not a way of imposing punitive measures on people who causes serious deforestation, but it’s a form of education. People should get to know that all human livelihoods are based on trees,” he said. Nurseries and Depot Manager Mr Mupanhwa said the Forestry Commission has developed a five year tree planting strategy. He said this year they are targeting to plant 15 million against 12 million which the Forestry Commission used to set as a National Target.
“Next week we have another program at Matove Primary School in Chikomba District where we are expecting to plant 2 000 trees as a means to set in motion the National Tree Planting Day (NTPD), also, we a massive tree planting strategy where we are targeting grow more than 50 hectares of land,” said Mr Mupanhwa.
Comm Mukogo said this year’s National Tree Planting celebrations would be held at Chikurubi Maximum Prison under the theme “Forests and Trees- Protecting soils for Food Security,” and the tree of the year is Velvet wild Medlar (Munzviru).
“Both the tree and the theme tend to support our economic blue-print, Zim—Asset. The blue-print has four clusters, namely; the forest sector which falls under Food Security and Nutrition Cluster, infrastructure and utilities cluster, value addition and beneficiation cluster,” she said.
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