Noah Pito in Hurungwe
Traditional leaders, as custodians of natural resources in rural communities, must enforce tree planting at household level as a way of curbing devastating effects of climate change, a Government official has said. Officiating at a tree planting ceremony held at Chisape Secondary School in Ward 10 in Hurungwe last Friday, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Mashonaland West Province, Cde Faber Chidarikire, said it was incumbent on chiefs and village heads to educate their communities and ensure that trees were planted at household unit level periodically.
Cde Chidarikire said the planting of trees was another way of invigorating food security for rural communities since families and even visitors could easily get relief from fruits.
“Chiefs and village heads who are here, since you stay with people in your communities we encourage you to talk to your subjects and agree on the methods you can use so that you enforce the planting of trees particularly fruit trees, at every household level.
“If there are no forests, our children will have no knowledge of our legacy. They won’t know trees and animal species. How do you think children will know mhembwe (buck) or muvanga when you destroy the forests?”
He said it was shocking that some homesteads did not even have a single fruit tree like a guava or mango, yet at such homesteads there were children.
“We must show that we have regard for our children. Trees, apart from offering shelter to animals and providing us with oxygen, are also the source of medicines that save our lives. We should continue planting them as they are used for food security, in treating various ailments and giving shelter to our animals.
“Remember it is the depletion of trees that is causing climate change which is now breeding droughts,” he said.