daniel chigunwe
Tendai Rupapa
Senior Reporter
ENVIRONMENT and Wildlife Patron First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday took her tree planting initiative, Agric4She and elderly empowerment to Mashonaland West Province where she left the people of Nyamangara Village beaming with delight and created a lasting impression of love, caring for the environment and hard work.
Tree planting is important for the environment, wildlife, and human well-being.
The tree planting season in Zimbabwe runs from the beginning of the rainy season in December until the end of April.
For many years, alongside the Forestry Commission and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Dr Mnangagwa has always been leading from the front in planting trees across the country’s provinces be it in forests, schools, or homesteads.
Yesterday, she led in the planting of more than 2 000 trees including gum trees and indigenous trees an initiative that communities, churches, traditional chiefs, and other stakeholders described as beneficial, as they joined her in planting the trees.
This comes at a time when most places are now bare owing to the rampant burning of forests and wanton cutting down of trees.
Mashonaland West Province has many tobacco growers who rely on firewood to cure their crop, hence Amai Mnangagwa’s call for them to have woodlots and replace trees whenever they cut them for production purposes.
The mother of the nation took the opportunity to surprise the elderly in that area and paid them surprise visits during which she cleaned their entire houses, swept the compounds, prepared them sumptuous meals, and did their laundry before taking to the fields to plant sweet potatoes and weeding.
This came as the First Lady forges ahead with her drive to sow the seeds of love and inculcate in people, a sense of responsibility for the elderly.
She was joined by other women from the community whom she urged to continue with the kind gesture of caring for the vulnerable groups.
Through her Angel of Hope Foundation, Amai Mnangagwa donated blankets, food hampers, and toiletries to all the elderly she visited.
As Agric4She patron, she also handed over farming inputs and chemicals to hundreds of women including the elderly.
She further donated tonnes of rice to the communities.
Addressing the gathering, the First Lady said she had visited the area to spend time with them while teaching each other the importance of tree planting and looking after the elderly.
“Today, I have come to be with you ndichitandara nemi tichiita basa tiripamwechete tichidzidzisana kukosha kwezvirongwa zvandauya nazvo. There is a link that connects trees, humans, and wildlife. It is difficult to separate trees from the lives of people. Tree planting can help combat deforestation, soil erosion, and climate change while also providing benefits for people and wildlife,” she said.
She bemoaned the cutting down of trees without re-planting them which she said exposed the country to the effects of climate change, erosion, and depleted forests.
“Whenever I travel with my programmes around the country, I am saddened with the way trees are being cut and veld fires. This also removes the natural habitat for wildlife ‘Ndinorwadziwa ndichiona masango ave magwenga’.
“Let us avoid the cutting down of trees and burning of forests because the law is against this. If you cut for production purposes, please re-plant the trees.
If we cut down trees and not replace them, how will our future generations know about them? Our forests are essential because they provide a habitat for our animals,” she said.
The First Lady, who has traversed the length and breadth of the country urging communities to plant trees, spelt the need for community leaders to show how important the country’s resources were so that everyone rallied behind them in preserving trees and forests.
She humbly engaged traditional leaders and asked them what should be done to people who cut down trees.
One of the chiefs responded,” As traditional chiefs, we are also saddened by this kind of behaviour. Tinoti munhu asingazive pekushandisira demo rake ngaasungwe.”
The First Lady further urged communities to also plant trees at their homesteads especially fruit trees.
“Will tourists visit us when our country is bare? These trees dzinopfekedzawo nyika yedu and this will attract tourists. Ndinoda kupa kuridziro kune varikuchera zvicherwa kuti vaite zviripamutemo. Vamwe vanopinda makanzi nevemutemo vasapinde vobva vazodhirikirwa nekuti pasi pazara mvura nekunaya. Even when the rain season is over, let us mine zviripamutemo. Makomba pese pese anoparadza vanhu nezvipfuyo zvichidonhera
mukati,” she said.
She urged people to be vigilant during this rainy season and avoid crossing flooded rivers and dams.
Commenting on the elderly, the First Lady said she aimed to empower them and show them love.
“They are the fountain of wisdom and the programme is to show them how much we love them. We should always care for them by visiting them and helping them with household chores. Naizvozvo ndinokukurudzirai kuti musare muchizviita,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa also tackled social ills and spoke against drug and substance abuse urging communities to work with the police.
She also called on families to live in peace and harmony.
Amai Mnangagwa also urged people especially women to work hard.
“The last season had a hot dry period which affected some crops that were in the fields. I therefore wish to thank the Lord for giving us the abundant rainfall that we are receiving across the country. Madzimai, ngatipindei mumunda tishande,” she said.
Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Dr Sithembiso Nyoni commended the First Lady for her initiatives.
“As we embark on tree planting season every year, we take this as an opportunity to create awareness and remind communities of the pivotal role that they have to play in ensuring that we conserve our trees and forests realising their importance and ensuring that we maintain sustainable livelihoods.
“As we continue the tree-planting blitz today, it’s important to recognise the significant environmental accomplishments and works that our First Lady has done. She has been a pillar of strength and a source of wisdom in our work,” she said.
Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Marian Chombo, also paid glowing tribute to Amai Mnangagwa.
Mr Steven Zingwena, who was representing the Acting Director General of the Forestry Commission, commended the First Lady for spearheading the reforestation initiative across the country.
“Our patron, the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is very influential in that she has supported tree planting for many years. These tree-planting events are preceded by her campaigns in every season of tree planting.
“She goes around all the provinces of the country hyping about the forthcoming tree planting season. As we are at Nyamangara village, we have also demonstrated that we are in support of the Presidential Horticulture Recovery Programme, which seeks to distribute ten fruit trees per household.
“The target for this year is 25 million trees. And so far, we have planted around 16 million trees. This is attributed to the awareness campaigns by the First Lady. We are hoping to surpass our target by the end of the season,” he said.
The elderly visited by the First Lady were on cloud nine and thanked her for her love and kindness.
“My daughter, I am so full of joy. If I did not have poor eyesight, I would have stood up and danced in appreciation of your love and kindness. Coming to visit me here ini hangu chembere yachena musoro from as far as Harare shows great love,” said Gogo Netsai Mundendedzi.
For Gogo Prisca Mutandagayi, it was an honour to be visited by the mother of the nation and sharing a meal with her while sitting in her thatched hut.
“What Amai vedu venyika has done, is so wonderful even in the eyes of God. I am of ill-health and I am not supposed to stay in a dusty environment, but because of sore legs and an aching back, I was living in dirty yet this affected my health. I want to thank Amai Mnangagwa for remembering me,” she said.
The First Lady is leading by example through caring for the elderly, saying it is critical to ensure they are properly looked after and urging communities and churches to allocate themselves time to help with household chores.
