THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has singled out fish poachers and gold panners for being responsible for most of the veld fires recorded in some parts of the country, as they usually light up fire to cook and fail to douse them afterwards.
by Stephen Chadenga
EMA Midlands provincial spokesperson Timothy Nyoka yesterday told Southern Eye that investigations had singled out poachers and gold panners as contributing to most veld fires in the province.
“The major cause of veld fires here in ward 15 Somabhula are fish poachers at Gwenoro Dam,” Nyoka said during a media tour in the area yesterday.
“We have poachers who light up fires for cooking, but these fires end up spreading in the area. We also have gold panners who clear vegetation in order to use their gold detectors,” he said.
“The problem is they clear the area using fire, which they end up failing to control.”
Ward 15 councillor Sibongile Matavire called on EMA to introduce deterrent penalties to stop the scourge.
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Meanwhile, Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company has donated its old conveyor belts to EMA to make fire swatters, as part of efforts to control veld fires.
Nyoka said the agency had managed to cover five districts in the province, with the fire-fighting equipment.
Nyoka said 30 000 hectares of land in the province was destroyed by veld fires during this year’s fire season.
