The Sunday News
Nothando Zondo, Sunday News Reporter
FIVE villagers from Inyathi in Matabeleland North Province might live to rue the day they decided to harvest trees in a forest in Goodwood along the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road for charcoal after they were arrested following a tip-off from a member of the public.
Sikhati Moyo (64) from Village 4, Kholani Bhebhe (48), Thobekile Mpofu (53), Defina Mpofu (50) and Soneni Moyo (32) all from Village 12, Goodwood, under Chief Mtshane in Inyathi were arrested on Sunday last week.
They were intercepted while transporting the 230x 50kg load of charcoal to Bulawayo for sale using a truck.
They appeared before Inyathi magistrate Mr Urgent Vundla on Tuesday facing a charge of unlawfully exploiting communal land forest produce by producing bags of charcoal from indigenous trees and selling it to Ms Sikhathele Dube of Cowdray Park without a permit.
They were remanded in custody to 30 April.
According to the State, represented by the prosecutor, Mr Farirai Chakamanga on 14 April at about 9am, Mr Amicable Makumbe, who is employed at Forestry Commission as a forestry extension officer received information from an informer to the effect that a white truck was loading bags of charcoal, at cross Goodwood along Bulawayo-Nkayi Road.
The court was told that Mr Makumbe then teamed up with Constable Manyemwe, Mr Nqobizitha Ngwenya, and one Constable Tshuma, and proceeded to the scene.
While on the way, the team intercepted a white truck under the charge of Ms Sikhathele Dube near Cross Nkayi in Inyathi.
Upon searching the motor vehicle, the team recovered 230x 50kg bags of charcoal.
Ms Dube failed to produce a permit authorising her to deal in forest produce leading to her arrest.
When interviewed, Ms Dube revealed that she had bought the charcoal from the five accused persons leading to their arrest.
Bubi Rural District Council CEO, Dr Partson Mlilo told Sunday News that such actions were a bad way of making a living as they destroyed the environment and led to deforestation.
“This thing has been going on for a long time and the council has been fining those caught, but it seems it’s not effective and deterrent enough.
The destruction of this magnitude has never happened before and it’s against the district’s by-laws, hence the rural district council wishes the law to take its toll and give a long sentence to the offenders that will be a warning to others,” said Dr Mlilo.
