
Danisa Masuku
National Tree ambassador Never Bonde has expressed concern about people who cut trees will-nilly for sale as firewood and encouraged apostolic sects to plant trees so as to preserve the environment.
During this season temperatures plummet to low degrees and that forces people to look for firewood to warm themselves up. And in most cases they get cheap firewood from unlicensed firewood vendors who cut down trees indiscriminately.
“Unlicensed firewood vendors sell firewood to the community members at cheap prices and they go to people as they sell their stock within the community,” he said. Bonde has expressed worry over this habit of cutting down trees leaving the environment bare.
“During the winter season the demand for firewood rises as such I would like to urge Bulawayo City Council rangers to be on high alert for people who unlawfully cut trees for firewood and other purposes as that leads to environmental degradation,” he said.
Bonde who fellowships within the Apostolic Sect said their prayer gatherings usually attract huge crowds while some of their prayer procedures require a lot of firewood which if not properly managed causes massive deforestation.
Due to that Bonde appealed to apostolic sects dotted around the city not to cut down trees but urged his fellow members to buy from licensed vendors. “I’m appealing to my fellow church members not to cut down trees for firewood, choto and zambara as that leads to deforestation.
They should buy from licensed vendors and not from people who sell it under the cover of darkness,” he said. He urged his fellow church members to plant trees and use alternative means to warm themselves up.
“Most of the apostolic sect’s members worship in open space due to that I would like to urge them to plant trees so as to preserve the environment and in cold weather they must use burnt charcoal to warm themselves up,” he said.