Story by Providence Maraneli
Communities around Ezintabeni area in Umzingwane district are calling on authorities to enact by-laws to protect sacred shrines and wetlands.
While trying to come to terms with the adverse effects of climate change that have made other tree species and animals disappear, giving rise to invasive species at the same time, uncontrolled settling of people in once sacred places, the influx of herbalists and faith healers have become a headache to Umzingwane community leaders.
“Southern Hornbills used to stay in the trees and we believe they had something to do with rains here and people are cutting down these trees. Some come from Bulawayo to look for herbs and they destroy the same trees,” a Shale villager said.
“We have a challenge with baboons because they used to get fruits from the forests, but people come in numbers to harvest and we are left with human-wildlife conflict. Some are now farming in the very wetlands which are not allowed, we need the law to protect us,” added another.
Environment stakeholders who gathered at Shale Business Centre for the consultations on the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan are convinced that a lot needs to be done to protect the environment.
Headman Nkala said, “We need help in enforcing the laws so that we protect our environment for future generations.”
“We have by-laws that forbid cutting down of trees for no reason, we are also worried about the poaching of endangered animal species so we need to do more,” Umzingwane Rural District Council’s Hayi Mpofu added.
The Environmental Management Agency’s Principal officer Mr Ntandokamlimu Nondo said, “We know you have a lot of trees that are needed for medicinal purposes and fruit trees that you can form groups and venture into business.”
The consultations are part of the community engagement by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to manage human-wildlife conflict.
Professor Crispen Phiri of Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology said, “We are here to get the input from communities, and this community has brought up peculiar issues like the need to enact laws that protect sacred places and sacred trees. They also raised concern over the continuous desecration of wetlands and water sources. We are happy that the community is playing a pro-active role in trying to protect their environment.
Suggestions from the consultations will be used in the alignment of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan.
