Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
VILLAGERS in Gwanda District have lost vast tracts of grazing land following the outbreak of a veld fire that has raged for two days.
The blaze, which began in Ward 7, has since spread to villages in Wards 6 and 8.
The village head of the Sitezi area, Mr Patrick Ncube, stated that although no lives had been lost, the community had been severely affected.
“The veld fire started in our village, but we are not sure how it began. It quickly spread to other villages. We teamed up as community members to try to control it, but we failed as it was too fierce and the strong winds made it uncontrollable. We alerted the Civil Protection Committee.
“The fire has left villagers in a desperate situation. We have lost grazing land for our animals, which may lead to the death of livestock. We had hoped that the pastures would last us until the rainy season, but now we are in a quandary. People cannot afford to buy supplementary feed. The forest has also been destroyed, which is a huge setback as we rely on it for our livelihoods,” he said.
A villager from the area, Mr Somandla Moyo, said the fire had destroyed their fields, including stover, which was used to feed livestock. He added that they would now have to construct new boundaries around their fields, a task that was both labour-intensive and time-consuming.
Gwanda District Civil Protection Committee chairperson and District Development Co-ordinator, Ms Nomathemba Ndlovu, confirmed that the committee had been activated following reports of the veld fire outbreak.
“We received a report of a veld fire in Ward 7, which then spread to Wards 6 and 8. Our first point of action was to alert members of the district civil protection committee. We mobilised resources to combat the spread.
“According to reports from village heads, the fire broke out in Ward 7, Sitezi area, on Monday, around 5 pm. It spread rapidly to Aqua Farm and towards Wards 6 and 8. Villagers were actively involved in fire-fighting efforts. The veld has been burnt, although we are yet to ascertain the total hectarage destroyed. Fortunately, there has been no loss of life or destruction of homes,” she said.
Ms Ndlovu emphasised the need for continued community engagement and education on veld fire prevention and management, stressing the importance of collaboration between local authorities, traditional leaders and emergency services.
She said the district would also intensify fire management strategies such as the construction of fireguards and controlled burning practices to mitigate future risks.
The 2025 fire restriction period commenced on July 31, marking the onset of a high-risk season for veld fires. This has already been felt in Matabeleland South Province, where deadly fires were reported in August.
During the Matabeleland South Provincial National Fire Week launch in Bulilima recently, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe, urged farmers and property owners to adopt prevention measures. These include the construction of internal and external fireguards, biomass reduction through hay baling, and the formation and training of fire-fighting teams.
Minister Nguluvhe stressed that villagers’ involvement was crucial, as they were the most affected by veld fires. —@DubeMatutu
