(HERALD) President plants Tree of the Year

President plants Tree of the Year
Midlands Bureau

President Mugabe yesterday officially launched the National Tree Planting programme at the Midlands State University in the Vungu District just outside Gweru.

The event, attended by Forestry Commission officials, Government ministers, including Environment and Natural Resources Management MInister Francis Nhema, as well as high-ranking Government officials, was held under the theme: "Combating Climate Change; Plant and Conserve Trees".

President Mugabe officially launched the annual tree planting event by planting a mutohwe tree (uxakuxaku in Ndebele and snot apple in English).

The mutohwe tree, whose botanical name is Azanzu garkeana, is the tree of the year, which would be planted throughout the country.

The President lamented the wanton destruction of trees like the mutohwe, whose fruit is sweet and nutritious.

"What is happening to the fruit (mutohwe)? Taisienda muzvuru tichinodya matohwe apo taitamba," he said.

President Mugabe expressed hope that the mutohwe and other trees being planted nationally would help cultivate a new culture of conserving trees and vegetation, as they were our heritage.

Hundreds of people converged at Kaguvi Vocational Training Centre to mark the tree planting event.

The institution had prepared 50 holes for the mutohwe tree and 100 for the Jatropha tree.

Kaguvi was initially supposed to host the official launch today before it was rescheduled to yesterday.

Minister Nhema urged people to plant the mutohwe tree, which had been chosen as the tree of the year.

Later in an interview, Forestry Commission chief executive officer Mr Darlington Duwa said their target was to plant tqo million trees nationwide within 12 months.

"We chose the mutohwe tree because of its adaptability to various sites and because of its other uses such as browse for animals and medicinal properties.

"We would want the tree to be planted in as many sites as possible," he said.

Mr Duwa said the call to plant trees this year had been well taken as the Forestry Commission received overwhelming inquiries from people from all walks of life.

"The trees need to be protected from veld fires, grazing animals and human beings.

"Most trees and vegetation have been ravaged by veld fires over the past years. We are creating a lot of awareness on the protection of trees in communities," he said.

He urged people to put in place fireguards and avoid starting fires between July and October, as these were high risk months for fire.

Mr Duwa said the planting of trees would help fight challenges posed by climate change as trees reduced global warming.

"Climate Change is not a myth but a fact.

"Our leaders will be meeting in Copenhagen in Denmark to try and agree on a post-Kyoto Protocol climate change regime.

"It is a recognised fact that while Africa contributes the least to global warming, it is going to suffer the most.

"Our theme is in line with what is happening in the world," he said.