Illegal settlers threaten timber industry
Wednesday, 20 June 2012 12:00
Freeman Razemba recently in Mutare
The timber industry has petitioned Government to impose stiffer and
deterrent penalties on people involved in arson and deforestation
countrywide. The Timber Producers’ Federation last week held a meeting in
Mutare where they agreed to petition Environment and Natural Resources
Management Minister Francis Nhema over the issue.
This comes in the wake of revelations that millions of United States dollars
worth of timber has been lost through fires caused by illegal settlers and
deforestation among others.
Allied Timbers chief executive officer Dr Joseph Kanyekanye expressed
concern over the issues and said there was need for Government to impose
stiffer penalties on those found engaged in such activities.
“It’s a serious matter which we think we need to articulate to the minister.
Let’s deal with the illegal settlers and other issues.
“Politicians react to pressure and that is what we should do,” he said.
Dr Kanyekanye said many people were coming in with mining permits since it
is believed that gold and diamonds were found in timber forests.
He said people were illegally settled at district level against Government
policy that forestry land should not be occupied.
“The Government does not allow any settlements on forestry land, any offer
of land is given by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement only,” he said.
Dr Kanyekanye said failure by the Government to stop the illegal
resettlement would result in the timber industry collapsing.
He also said the Environmental Management Agency was making a lot of money
through them but doing nothing on deforestation.
Other timber producers said the industry in Manicaland creates at least 60
percent of employment besides other sectors and if destroyed there would be
unemployment.
They said they had carried out a lot of awareness campaigns to the people
but the impact was very minimal.
In January, Zimbabwe had lost revenue of up to US$200 million due to
activities of illegal settlers in areas reserved for timber plantations.
Addressing journalists recently in Harare, Dr Kanyekanye said more than 4
000 families across the country had invaded 12 000 hectares of forestry
land.
“US$200 million has been lost because of these culprits, these people are
destroying our economy,” he said.
“A lot of money is being lost because of these people . . . we can say they
are committing murder because it’s killing our country’s economy.”
Dr Kanyekanye said forestry plantations were vulnerable because Government
had not done anything to evict the illegal settlers.
He said they had tried to engage Government and the police to help them
evict the people without success.
Dr Kanyekanye said some of the illegal settlers started fires to give a
negative perception that timber companies were not replanting clear areas.
By March this year, Allied Timbers Zimbabwe lost US$19 million due to arson
fires caused by illegal settlers and prospecting miners, thus disrupting
operations.
According to Dr Kanyekanye 2 836 hectares has been occupied by 2 830 illegal
settlers, disrupting operations of the timber exporting unit.
He said Chimanimani was a serious problem and it was the largest area of
forestry land currently at 50 028 hectares under Allied Timbers
Zimbabwe and this was being reduced to nothing as trees are burnt yearly.
Dr Kanyekanye said the major challenge was from the Mines and Mining
Development Ministry issuing special grants to people to mine in the
forestry.
People are coming in with letters and these include Chinese, Russians and
many others, he said.