Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
A DELEGATION led by the Deputy Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Barbra Rwodzi this on Tuesday morning visited families of the 10 Esigodini inferno victims where she assured them of government support.
Deputy Minister Rwodzi was accompanied by Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Abednico Ncube, EMA Board Chairperson Ambassador Zenzo Nsimbi, EMA directors and various government heads of departments.
“We have seen it fit that we be here today, it’s a dark cloud to the environmental sector and country at large. We would like to call them environmental heroes as they perished in the process of putting out fire in Umzingwane District. There are heroes because they agreed to take out the fire together with others to serve the environment, crops, animals and people’s lives but instead their own lives were taken hence we call them heroes today.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families, friends of the dearest departed. We should not at any given time lose lives especially while trying to save other lives. As a Ministry we are going to tighten our laws. We always see and go through these difficulties of veld fires but we never thought that these fires would take 10 lives at one go,” said Dep Min Rwodzi
Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Republic Police has announced the names of ten victims who died while trying to extinguish the raging veld fire at Redrose Farm.
“The victims were positively identified by their next of kin as listed: Kessary Sibanda, a male adult aged 53 of Marula, Figtree, Ian Mudimba, a male adult aged 38, Simon Mdlongwa, a male adult aged 39, Nelisingwane Dlamini, a male adult aged 47 of GMB Esigodini, Luzibo Tshuma, a male adult of Chiziya Malundu Village, Binga, Oliver Mudimba, a male adult aged 39, Bafana Moyo, a male adult aged 53 of Dimbamiwa Village, Nkayi, England Moyo, a male adult aged 20 of Nketa 8, Bulawayo, Thabani Mpofu, a male adult aged 46 of Gwelutshena Village, Nkayi and Menelisi Ngwenya a male adult aged 20 of Mandangema Village, Nkayi,” reads the statement.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police further said it is concerned with incidents of veld fires in all parts of the country where lives have been lost and property destroyed in situations which clearly show acts of recklessness, negligence and in some cases criminal activities.
Bongani Ndlovu