SEVERAL veld fires have destroyed extensive tracts of forests, grasslands, animals, people and their properties to an extent that some people have been displaced from their homes with nowhere to go.
The catastrophic veld fire I recently witnessed is Zvimba left me livid.
Some of these fires are started by reckless people who are hunting for rodents in rural areas and those who clear land for farming using fire.
Clearing of land by farmers should be done on time so as to avoid a situation whereby one has to burn to clear the land.
Several times electricity poles have been burnt and further shortages of electricity have been experienced.
Fires are being started on a daily basis and this destroys not only infrastructure, but also the vegetation which we and our animals rely on.
We as Zimbabweans need to be responsible with our wealth.
Our land is important to us as it provides for us; therefore it requires us to make an effort to ensure that it is protected.
Creating fire-guards can help to curb fires and contain them to smaller areas.
However as some may say, prevention is better than cure so let’s just be more careful not to start any fires in the first place, especially when it is windy as they tend to spread faster to a greater distances.
Tatenda
Chishawasha