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MR Joel Maviva (89) of Ntabazinduna in Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province, is an ex-detainee who played a significant part in the fight to liberate his people from colonial rule.
That feat achieved, he took it upon himself to embark on a crusade to save and protect one of the country’s natural resources, the forest, from depletion.
Mr Maviva’s case is unique in the sense that he stands as one of the few black people to have developed a passion to protect tree species at a time when these resources were being plundered for the purposes of energy and carving of various apparatus for use by people in their everyday chores.
The veteran conservator said he developed a caring attitude for natural resources at his nascent stages but his attributes came to light in 1991 when he partnered two women, Josephine Ncube and Janet Clark, in fighting against deforestation and promoting afforestation in their home area, an act that was appreciated and endorsed by the late Chief Khayisa of Ntabazinduna.
Mr Maviva was detained at the notorious detention camp of Gonakudzingwa from 1965 to 1968 by the Rhodesian government for his role in the liberation struggle. Upon his release, he was to be employed as a boarding master at Gloag High at Inyathi but was later relieved of his duties after the white community managed to retrace his political roots.
He was to become a councillor in independent Zimbabwe from 1986 to 1999 — the period during which he exhibited his love and care for nature.
“In 1991 when I was a councillor I realised that most of our land was getting bare at a very fast rate and one could see a hen from about five miles away. I identified six villages and we had committees chosen in those villages for the sole purpose of ensuring that deforestation was fought,” Mr Maviva said.
He said at the rate at which the vegetation was diminishing it threatened the survival of livestock in the area thus there was a need to promote the existence of woodlots in all villages.
“Our area was fast running out of grazing land and we had no option but come up with woodlots to ensure that we had enough pastures for our cattle, goats and donkeys. However, this project was to be more successful in Nana, where we managed to conserve these African acacia trees,” Mr Maviva said.
He said the success of the two hectare Nana acacia woodlot project drew interest from schools and universities that continue to flock to the area for research purposes.
“I think I will die a happy man if this project continues and is spread right across Ntabazinduna. I call on all Government departments that are mandated to look after the environment and agriculture to come forth and assist,” said Mr Maviva.
The success of the Nana woodlot also prompted Forestry Commission to send a team of researchers on a feasibility study aimed at collecting data for the purpose of starting such projects elsewhere in the country.
In 1996, the Forestry Commission with funding support from the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom established a research plot at Mafanisa where 19 different acacia tree species collected from across Africa were put on trial and four were selected following successful adaptation to the climatic conditions and soils in the area.
The four species which adapted well are namely acacia karroo, acacia Senegal, acacia tortilis, acacia nilotica.
The research plot has 6 700 acacia trees grown over a stretch of six hectares.
The Mafanisa and Nana woodlots have become a source of multiple benefits to the communities, which include fodder and grazing for livestock, firewood, shelter, soil fertility, moisture retention, biodiversity enrichment and a source of income as some members of the community are employed to protect the woodlot so as to preserve scientific information for future generations. Learning from the Mafanisa and Nana woodlots, some individual villages now have their own woodlots in their homes. During the dry season livestock are allowed to graze in the research woodlot.
Speaking at a field day at Mafanisa acacia woodlot, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the woodlot would go a long way in the process of reproducing initial experimental trees till they are distributed widely in various parts of the country.
“In agroforestry, acacias are useful as fertiliser trees, as they improve soil fertility for arable cropping. In the wild, many birds find it highly advantageous to nest in acacia trees due to the species’ ability to protect the nests and their contents from predators. Some acacia trees also provide special products as gum Arabic.
“Because of their diversity of products and services they provide, acacia species have earned recognition in a wide range of production systems that include the manufacturing industry. It is because of these and other uses that the acacia trees fit very well in the food security cluster in the Zim Asset,” she said.
Acacia trees and forests are wide-spread across tropical and sub-tropical Africa, and in Zimbabwe they are predominantly found in the western, south and south western parts of the country which are predominantly dry zone ecological regions Four and Five, occupying 24,8 million hectares.
Lessons from the Mafanisa and Nana woodlots led to the establishment of more multipurpose woodlots at selected ecologically suitable sites in Beitbridge, Guyu in Gwanda, Fort Rixon, Matobo and others outside Matabeleland region such as Goromonzi. Sites outside traditional dry environments are being researched to investigate if the trees can also grow there.
“Following the Mafanisa and Nana experience, my Ministry will soon be rolling out a national afforestation programme that will see the resuscitation of central nurseries throughout the country.
“This programme will involve participation of communities in all the 63 administrative districts, including urban centres with an objective to plant 15 million trees during the 2015/16 season. This will translate to at least 60 million trees planted within the next four to five years,” Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said.
She said the planting of the 15 million trees would be followed by the establishment of beekeeping projects within the woodlots to add value to the planted trees.
“The programme will culminate in the establishment of fruit trees, indigenous and exotic woodlots. Currently my Ministry is exploring ways to assist communities to market their forest produce such as honey, mushrooms, mopane worms, fruits and other forest products at national regional and international levels,” Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said.
She said her Ministry was in the process of strengthening and developing the whole value chain of forest products so that communities are able to produce, process and market the products.
Cde Machingura-Kashiri pledged to donate a borehole to Mr Maviva after being touched by his commitment and passion towards conserving the environment.
Online Reporter