Online Reporter
Daimon Phiri
THE land is ours, and it is also the inheritance we hold in trust for our children. That is why, under the forward-looking leadership of President Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe has made a solemn pledge to both present and future generations: to pursue development without destruction and growth anchored in environmental sustainability.
This commitment is not an imported environmental ideology. It is an expression of patriotism. The President understands that a nation which destroys its rivers ultimately destroys its farms, while a nation that allows its forests to disappear is a nation that mortgages its future.
When we plant a tree, we are planting a job. When we protect our water resources, we are safeguarding food security. When we build resilience in our communities, we are strengthening the foundations of Vision 2030.
In Matabeleland South, where droughts are often severe and where rivers, forests and grazing lands shape daily life, this message carries particular significance. To be a guardian of the land is to be a guardian of livelihoods, dignity and continuity.
The reality of this national vision is already taking shape across our province and throughout the country in practical and measurable ways. At its heart is climate resilience, which has become the nation’s response to the droughts, floods and heatwaves that are no longer future projections, but present-day challenges.
Through the deliberate promotion of climate-smart agriculture, the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme and conservation farming, farmers in Matabeleland South are proving that it is possible to produce more with fewer resources. At the same time, Government and its partners are drilling boreholes, rehabilitating strategic dams and expanding irrigation infrastructure to break the cycle of dependence on rainfall that has constrained communities for generations.
At the same time, early warning systems are being strengthened so that rural districts, schools and health centres are better prepared for extreme weather events. The objective is clear: Zimbabweans must no longer be victims of changing weather patterns but masters of adaptation. A resilient farmer helps build a resilient nation, and a resilient district strengthens a resilient Zimbabwe.
Closely linked to adaptation is the agenda of environmental protection, which is not treated as an afterthought but as the foundation upon which our economy, culture and tourism depend. This is why National Tree Planting Day and the target of planting one million trees annually are being used to restore woodlands lost through deforestation and unsustainable practices.
In Matabeleland South, community woodlots and school orchards are steadily transforming bare landscapes into productive green spaces. Meanwhile, the campaign against veld fires has intensified, driven by the understanding that a single uncontrolled blaze can destroy grazing land, wildlife habitats and homes within hours, wiping out years of development progress.
Government is also moving decisively to curb riverbed mining and uncontrolled sand abstraction in order to protect dwindling water sources. National parks, from Matobo to Gonarezhou, are being preserved because tourism, which supports thousands of livelihoods in our province, depends on a clean and protected environment.
As the President has repeatedly affirmed, Zimbabwe is a park, and we intend to keep it that way. A clean and green Zimbabwe is not only healthier for its people, but also more attractive to the world.
The third pillar is green energy and green industry, demonstrating that development and environmental stewardship are not rivals but essential partners in building a modern economy.
Zimbabwe is therefore investing in solar, hydro and biogas energy to power homes, schools, clinics and industries across both urban and rural communities.
In the mining and manufacturing sectors, policy is increasingly geared towards green mining and green manufacturing that prioritise value addition while respecting ecological limits. The message to investors is clear: Zimbabwe is not choosing between jobs and the environment. It is committed to achieving both.
Rehabilitation of mined areas is no longer viewed as a voluntary gesture but as a legal and moral obligation. Companies that extract value from the land are expected to leave it in a condition that future generations can use, because the true cost of environmental degradation is ultimately borne by our children.
This approach is critical to the attainment of Vision 2030. It is impossible to achieve Upper Middle Income Economy status with dry dams and depleted forests. Equally, industrialisation cannot be sustained if climate shocks repeatedly undermine agricultural production or if environmental decline drives away tourists who support key sectors of the economy.
President Mnangagwa has therefore declared with conviction that development must be sustainable or it is not development at all. This philosophy places responsibility and legacy at the heart of national planning, ensuring that Vision 2030 remains a durable transformation rather than a short-term project.
True prosperity cannot be measured by GDP alone. It must also be reflected in clean water, fertile soils, protected biodiversity and air that our children can breathe with confidence.
None of this can be achieved by Government alone. That is why the call to action is directed to every Zimbabwean, every company, every miner and every farmer, and to all citizens of Matabeleland South who understand that “Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo”.
To every household, the task is simple: plant a tree this rainy season, conserve water, establish fireguards and reject littering. Patriotism is not demonstrated only by waving a flag; it is also demonstrated by protecting the soil beneath it.
For every business, the expectation is equally clear: rehabilitate what is dug up, reduce pollution, increase productivity and use energy efficiently. The reminder is that the cost of environmental destruction is a diminished future for our own children.
To those who doubt that Zimbabwe can industrialise while remaining green, the answer is simple: we will do both. That is the Zimbabwean way, and our history shows that we have the capacity to adapt, innovate and lead.
Our ancestors protected this land with spears and indigenous wisdom. We will protect it with sound policies, science, trees and a patriotism that places the nation first.
In Matabeleland South, we have an opportunity to lead by example by ensuring that every homestead has fruit trees, every school has a woodlot, every community maintains fireguards, and every dam and wetland is protected from abuse. The land feeds us, the land heals us and the land defines who we are as a people.
That is why, under President Mnangagwa’s leadership, Zimbabwe is choosing to be a guardian of the land, not only for today and tomorrow, but for Vision 2030 and for the generations that will inherit the Zimbabwe we are building together.
