Veld fires claim 16 lives
Veld fires claim 16 lives
15 May 2016
published by https://www.dailynews.co.zw
Zimbabwe — HARARE – At least 16 people lost their lives last year while close to 1,6 million hectares of land
and thousands of dollars worth of property was destroyed by veld fires countrywide, the
Environmental Management Agency has said.
Revealing the statistics and an overview of 2015 fire season, the Environmental Management
Agency (Ema) yesterday described how the country was losing millions of dollars every year as
valuable deciduous trees, wildlife, property and human life was being destroyed by fires.
The statutory body, responsible for ensuring protection of the environment, called on more
vibrant pre-fire suppression measures to curb the destructive scourge which continues to occur
with significant frequency and in intensity across the countrys 10 provinces.
16 people lost their lives while in 2014, 12 lives were lost due to veld fires, Ema said in a
statement yesterday.
A total of 2 464 incidences resulting in 1 510 342 77 hectares of land being destroyed by fire were recorded in 2014.
Conservationists and environmentalists have been carrying out education and awareness
campaigns that last year included 1 079 meetings reaching out to 66 739 people.
We conducted workshops that included 42 indabas and capacity building. (Last year), 201 fire
fighting teams, 557 police officers and 1 381 traditional leaders were trained.
The agency said a number of veld fire perpetrators were arraigned before the courts.
(At least) 48 fire dockets (were) at the magistrates courts and 10 finalised. 29 fire cases were
handled by traditional leaders and finalised.
(In terms of regulation and law enforcement, there were 1 229 orders and 307 tickets and 127
dockets.The agency said it faced a series of challenges in curbing veld fires, chief among
them the trivialisation of environmental crimes.
There is need to empower community-based fire-fighting teams with fire-fighting equipment.
We face challenges of poor connectivity with some districts where we are recommending the
set-up of satellite phones, read part of the statement.
With the destruction of forests resulting in decreased food production and have a negative
impact on climate Ema appealed to the public, government departments and conservationists to be proactive.
As we approach yet another dry season, let us be proactive and protect our properties from
the possibility of veld fires.
Among the ways of doing this are . . . pre-fire suppression measures such as fire guard
construction, hay bailing and apiculture. Lets work together and prevent veld fires.”
