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Speaking at the provincial launch of the National Fire Week at Hay Grange Farm in Mangwe District, Governor Masuku said Matabeleland South was last year ranked as one of the worst affected by veld fires with about 71 000 hectares of land, an old woman, eight goats, a donkey and property destroyed by fire.
The launch was organised by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) whose duty is to ensure sustainable management of the environment.
Governor Masuku said Parliament should craft laws to compel courts to hand stiffer sentences to people who degrade the environment.
“We want to encourage police to arrest all those who start veld fires and the courts to give stern sentences. Members of Parliament should review laws relating to environment,” said Governor Masuku.
“Fire crimes should be taken as serious crimes and the courts have to impose stiffer sentences to prevent who would be offenders from starting fires.
“Currently cases of the environment are taken as minor crimes yet our natural resources are dwindling.
“Courts should not pardon people who destroy our environment because they destroy our heritage.”
Governor Masuku said Statutory Instrument 7:2007 and the Forestry Act Chapter 19:05 compels every property holder to make fireguards on their properties to prevent fires.
She also urged traditional leaders to revive and intensify traditional courts to deal with environmental crimes.
“I want to underscore that it does not matter where the fire started or who started it, we all have the mandate to stop fire. I want to commend EMA for empowering communities and urge other Government departments to do the same,” said Governor Masuku.
This year’s theme for anti-fire campaign is “Protect the environment, prevent veld fires.”
Governor Masuku said the theme encouraged every citizen to exercise caution when dealing with fire.
“Grass dried early this year and already there are incidents of fire before we even equip ourselves.
“This year there are fears that fire incidents would rise again due to presence of detectors used by gold prospectors.
“This new technology increased incidents of fire last year and all stakeholders should thus work together to prevent this,” said Governor Masuku.
“This year we would want to revive the Fire Management Committees so that stakeholders can pull together.”
Hundreds of people drawn from mainly Ward 11 and some from across the province gathered at Hay Grange Farm for the event.
Entertainment was provided by pupils from Watershed Primary School and they staged a short play on dangers of veld fire and how to prevent it as a community.
The National Fire Week is launched in the second week of May every year, ahead of the onset of the fire season in July up to October.
EMA provincial environmental manager Mrs Sithembisiwe Ndlovu said fire awareness campaigns were paying dividends as the amount of land destroyed last year had declined from nearly 100 000 hectares to about 71 000.
Travellers contribute to fires as they start fire along the highways during breakdowns or when they throw cigarette stubs while on the road.
Some of the identified causes of fire were hunting and honey harvesting when people do not put out fire in the bush.
Mrs Ndlovu said fire fighting demonstrations were effective as they had contributed to a reduction in the hectarage destroyed.
“In 2010 there were 29 fire occurrences compared to 72 last year. However, the damage was minimal last year because people are getting knowledge of conserving natural resources from the demonstrations we are doing across the province.
Last year we demonstrated in Insiza and Umzingwane and hope we will continue working together to stop outbreak of veld fires,” she said.
She encouraged communities to form fire-fighting committees.
Acting Matabeleland South provincial administrator Mr Midard Khumalo urged EMA to continue empowering communities so that they take ownership of natural resources and conserve them.
Mrs Hilda Nleya, a member of the village development committee in the ward said the district was rich in natural resources, but they were dwindling because of veld fires.
Online Reporter