adminSpeaking during a tree planting exercise at Imbizo Barracks, the District Administrator of Khami, Mrs Matilda Mahaso, applauded the Government for embarking on the two programmes.
A total of 185 trees were planted at the event, which included 85 sausage trees, 50 marula and 50 other indigenous trees.
“It is through such programmes that we can realise that we too can play an important role as Zimbabweans in the Green Revolution by going indigenous through planting indigenous trees before local species disappear in our country,” she said.
Mrs Mahaso called on the nation to safeguard its natural resources in order to preserve indigenous trees for future generations.
“It would be folly on our part if our children will come to know of tress such as mutohwe, mubvee, munyii and marula through foreign videos and channels simply because we failed to conserve the tree,” she said.
Mrs Mahaso said due to the depletion of the ozone layer the effects of climate change and global warming were affecting all nations without discrimination as witnessed by the increasing cases of natural disasters across the globe.
“We can talk of heat waves, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, earthquakes and cyclones just to mention a few.
“These disasters are occurring almost on a monthly basis, a development which is very worrying,” she said.
Mrs Mahaso said the solution was for everyone to plant a tree every year.
“The solution lies with you and me today, right now, by planting trees every year and to stop cutting down trees unnecessarily,” she said.
In his remarks the Zimbabwe National Army deputy commander of Bulawayo district Lieutenant-Colonel Vusa Tshuma said trees were an important part of life and they should be preserved by all.
“As we are all gathered here please let us continue to remember that trees are life and life are trees and affect all aspects of our lives,” he said.
Present at the tree planting was Chief Sigola who along with members of the Zimbabwe National Army planted the tree of the year, the sausage tree, umvebe in SiNdebele or mumvee in Shona.
The tree can grow in arid environments and has medicinal properties.
Its fruit can be used to treat diseases such as ulcers, boils, diabetes, leprosy, malaria, pneumonia and ring worms.
Online Reporter