The Sunday News
George Maponga in Nyajena
FIRST Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has encouraged Zimbabweans to join the drive to adopt a green economy, which involves the sustainable use of the country’s natural resources to engender socio-economic development for the benefit of present and future generations.
Dr Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe should not be left behind in the drive by the rest of the progressive world to adopt green economies, particularly at a time when the planet is grappling with the effects of climate change-induced natural disasters and hardships.
The First Lady — who is the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry patron for the environment — was speaking during a Tree Planting Day programme at Tugwane High School in Nyajena communal lands, Masvingo South, in a speech read on her behalf by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi.
She said protection of the environment and restoration of the tree population and forests are some of the key targets in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1). NDS1, which runs from 2021 to 2025, is expected to create fertile conditions for Zimbabwe to become an upper middle-income society by 2030.
First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa
Dr Mnangagwa said planting trees — both indigenous and exotic — and rebuilding forests were key in fighting the negative effects of climate change.
‘‘High population of trees and presence of big forests help mitigate the effects of floods that are now a common feature these days, while trees and forests are also critical for human survival, even in times of drought through provision of fruits that are highly nutritious,” said Dr Mnangagwa.
“The issue of protecting the environment, especially trees and forests, forms part of President Mnangagwa’s vision to transform the Zimbabwean economy into upper-middle income status by the year 2030 and this vision is supported by NDS1, which started in 2021 and will run up to 2025,” she said.
Vision 2030 and NDS1 entail progressively transforming people’s lives and the economy, while leaving no one and no place behind. Trees and forests, said Amai Mnangagwa, are some of Zimbabwe’s natural resources that will be instrumental in engendering socio-economic transformation.
“The world over, there is an ongoing drive to promote growth of green economies and today I want to urge you, the people of Masvingo and Zimbabwe at large, not to be left behind in the unfolding green economy revolution taking place in other progressive jurisdictions around the world,” she said.
Trees and forests, she added, are important as sources of medicine and nutrition, while they also help minimise land degradation by protecting soil from erosion.
Dr Mnangagwa said the theme marking the fight to mitigate the effects of climate change, “Trees and forests for ecosystem restoration and improved livelihoods”, called for an urgent need to rehabilitate gullies and embark on reforestation.
Protecting the environment was also key to preserving infrastructure such as dams, which could be affected by siltation.
The First Lady praised the Forestry Commission for spearheading the ongoing reforestation drive.
‘‘Masvingo has a lot of natural resources, including dams such as Tugwi-Mukosi and Lake Mutirikwi, coupled with big perennially flowing rivers, wild animals and fruit trees such as mazhanje, makwakwa, matamba nemapfura, and delicacies such as harurwa, madora nemakurwe.
“All these things can only be found today and be available for future generations if we continue to protect our forests and plant more trees. So, I want to encourage you to keep on looking after our forests and trees and also conserving our natural resources.”
Tugwane High School students plant trees during a tree planting day in Masvingo on Friday
She said this year, the tree that will be planted is the waterberry (mukute). As patron of the environment, Dr Mnangagwa added, she would continue to promote the planting of the tree, while also preaching the gospel of environmental protection in all corners of Zimbabwe.
She urged Zimbabweans to take advantage of the ongoing rainy season to plant more trees to complement the ongoing reforestation agenda. Traditional chiefs, church leaders, businesspeople and ordinary people were challenged to encourage tree planting in their communities.
It was also crucial, she said, to inculcate the importance of protecting forests and trees to future generations, while making sure that existing forests were free from threats of veld fires and other challenges.
At the event, 1 307 trees — including mukute, guava, munyii, mango, orange and grapefruit, as well as other exotic and indigenous trees — were planted.
Speaking on behalf of the Masvingo Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Jefta Sakupwanya, an official in his office, Mr Edmore Mungure, hailed Dr Mnangagwa for the good work she is doing.
He also described her as a champion of environmentalism. Dr Sakupwanya said Masvingo had benefitted immensely from an array of programmes and projects by the First Lady, which was testament to her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of ordinary people.
Tugwane High School head boy Zvidzai Mafunda also praised Dr Mnangagwa for working tirelessly to inculcate values of protecting the environment and looking after the underprivileged through her Angel of Hope Foundation.
School head girl, Attilia Makono, thanked the First Lady for spearheading the planting of trees and reforestation, saying trees and forests were key in preventing land degradation and cushioning the environment from the effects of climate change.
Tugwane High School headmaster Mr Augustine Mashasha described the First Lady as a caring mother who has a solid relationship with ordinary people. He added that the thrust to plant trees and rebuild forests was beneficial, especially to future generations.
The event was attended by top Government officials in Masvingo and representatives of Government departments such as Zimparks and the Forestry Commission, as well as traditional leaders, among others.
