Illegal settlers threaten timber industry

meeting in Mutare where they agreed to petition Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema over the issue.
This comes in the wake of revelations that millions of United States dollars worth of timber has been lost through fires caused by illegal settlers and deforestation among others.
Allied Timbers chief executive officer Dr Joseph Kanyekanye expressed concern over the issues and said there was need for Government to impose stiffer penalties on those found engaged in such activities.
“It’s a serious matter which we think we need to articulate to the minister. Let’s deal with the illegal settlers and other issues.
“Politicians react to pressure and that is what we should do,” he said.
Dr Kanyekanye said many people were coming in with mining permits since it is believed that gold and diamonds were found in timber forests.
He said people were illegally settled at district level against Government policy that forestry land should not be occupied.
“The Government does not allow any settlements on forestry land, any offer of land is given by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement only,” he said.
Dr Kanyekanye said failure by the Government to stop the illegal resettlement would result in the timber industry collapsing.
He also said the Environmental Management Agency was making a lot of money through them but doing nothing on deforestation.
Other timber producers said the industry in Manicaland creates at least 60 percent of employment besides other sectors and if destroyed there would be unemployment.
They said they had carried out a lot of awareness campaigns to the people but the impact was very minimal.
In January, Zimbabwe had lost revenue of up to US$200 million due to activities of illegal settlers in areas reserved for timber plantations.
Addressing journalists recently in Harare, Dr Kanyekanye said more than 4 000 families across the country had invaded 12 000 hectares of forestry                   land.
“US$200 million has been lost because of these culprits, these people are destroying our economy,” he said.
“A lot of money is being lost because of these people . . . we can say they are committing murder because it’s killing our country’s economy.”
Dr Kanyekanye said forestry plantations were vulnerable because Government had not done anything to evict the illegal settlers.
He said they had tried to engage Government and the police to help them evict the people without success.
Dr Kanyekanye said some of the illegal settlers started fires to give a negative perception that timber companies were not replanting clear areas.
By March this year, Allied Timbers Zimbabwe lost US$19 million due to arson fires caused by illegal settlers and prospecting miners, thus disrupting operations.
According to Dr Kanyekanye 2 836 hectares has been occupied by 2 830 illegal settlers, disrupting operations of the timber exporting unit.
He said Chimanimani was a serious problem and it was the largest area of forestry land currently at              50 028 hectares under Allied Timbers Zimbabwe and this was being reduced to nothing as trees are burnt yearly.
Dr Kanyekanye said the major challenge was from the Mines and Mining Development Ministry issuing special grants to people to mine in the forestry.
People are coming in with letters and these include Chinese, Russians and many others, he said.