A Multi-sectoral Approach to Avert a National Disaster in Zimbabwe

After reading the article: Dying Rivers Dry up Livelihoods, published by Irin News and which appeared on Zimbabwe Situation website on 26 April 2012, I felt compelled, as a Zimbabwean, to attempt to proffer remedies, which I believe can go a long way in ameliorating and perhaps reversing this sad situation.

When Zimbabwe started experiencing economic difficulties in the late 1990s, communities responded in different ways. The survival strategies took many across the borders to acquire wares which they brought back to sell. The favorite destination was South Africa but others explored other countries such as Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. The well-to-do even went as far as Dubai, China, and Singapore. Though the wares were sold to urban dwellers through flea markets or home delivery, some enterprising people soon discovered that there was a captive market outside towns and cities. Many trekked to the great dyke, where a phenomenon called “kukorokoza” or gold panning was taking root. 

 

Undeterred by arrests and various operations carried out by the government and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to curtail their activities, gold panners became part and parcel of society. Soon a renowned musician, the late Tongai “Dehwa” Moyo acknowledged them in one of his hits. It would appear that “Makorokoza” are here to stay. The concept of “kukorokoza” is also no longer confined to gold panning but now refers to the life of many Zimbabweans who, on each and every day, have to come up with a “plan” of seeing them through. 

Come the land reforms in early 2000, many people secured plots, specializing in tobacco farming. However, it is known that many farmers had limited means to acquire coal at the prevailing prices for curing their tobacco and they naturally resorted to indiscriminate cutting down of trees. What is happening in Zimbabwe is a classic case of the tragedy of commons. Because tobacco farmers are interested in revenue, they embark on destruction of indigenous forests. The top soil is washed away into rivers and rivers dry up disrupting agricultural activities downstream, resulting in people deserting agriculture either to become panners or engage in buying and selling of wares. The desertification will fast catch up with the tobacco farmers who shall see their yields declining because of reduced rainfall. An attempt to create dams will be futile because the dams will be affected by siltation. When the alluvial gold deposits are eventually exhausted, the panners will be left with only one economic activity  of buying and selling, but because the rural farmers who left the land and urban dwellers are already into buying and selling, the buying and selling industry will become saturated and will collapse or reward big players, with the rest faced with starvation. 

My interventions will be premised on the realization that what we are staring as a country is a national disaster which needs a multi-sectoral approach coupled with vigorous planning and diligent implementation and evaluation.

The concept of “kukorokoza” or infomalization of the economy should be addressed. The coalition government should strive to capacitate industry and to do more in resuscitating and revitalizing dying industries such that people are formally employed. The benefits of formal employment to the economy cannot be overemphasized. The retail and financial sectors will receive a boost. The fiscus will also be boosted. The pension funds will provide the country with long-term development resources for sustainable infrastructural development. Entrepreneurship will be nurtured in a systematic manner.

A new mining policy is urgently required, which policy should provide a framework of how the activities of panners and small-scale miners can be regulated. Such policy will on one hand make panning difficult for unlicensed miners while allowing those licensed to take care of the environment. Government agencies such as Environment Management Agency (EMA) would be roped in to assist in monitoring the activities of miners. Funding of EMA activities in this regard will come from the miners through a levy on their sales. 

The tobacco farmers have everything to lose due to their recklessness and self-centered behavior. They should be sensitive and work harder to preserve and conserve the environment. The Forestry Commission should be stricter, penalizing those farmers found on the wrong side of the law. Tobacco farmers are not sacred. Yes the country require the foreign exchange but at what cost? A reforestation levy should be levied immediately on all tobacco farmers to assist other poor farmers to establish plantations of eucalyptus trees. On the supply of coal the Mines Ministry should be liberal in issuing coal mining licenses. The current license requirements for mining coal are not helpful to up-coming miners. The liberalization of coal mining will undoubtedly result in an increase in coal production and will drive the coal prices down enabling tobacco farmers to utilize the coal instead of chopping down a 100 year old Musasa tree.  

Communities through community leaders should be more active in environment management. Ultimately communities’ well being will be in jeopardy if the environment is no longer sustaining their livelihoods. It should be a taboo to cut down medicinal, fruit and old trees. Community leaders should be empowered to penalize those who are in the habit of cutting down of trees. 

The youths should be taught continuously on the importance of the environment; the supreme value of trees and the living nature of the soil. A program of celebrating success stories regarding conservation should be initiated where awards are bestowed to individuals, communities and organizations excelling in the field of environment management. 

The ministries of environment, tourism, mines, agriculture as well as government departments and NGOs working with and/or in communities in the area of environment and wildlife management should redouble their efforts in protecting the environment.  An environment management policy should also guide and capacitate role players to deal with environmental issues.

Gold panners in Zimbabwe courtesy of Irin News

Rural dwellers in Africa rely exclusively on firewood for energy

Religious leaders are encouraged to take a leading role in protecting the environment by urging their congregations to participate in tree planting among other activities. 

Last but not least, every Zimbabwean is called upon to do more regarding the environment. They should think twice when they are about to chop down a tree, dig up a river bed, contaminate water with mercury, start a bush fire, use snares, for it is within their own hands to make a difference. Let us remember the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world." 

Robert Mudzvova is a social, political and economic commentator based in South Africa and writes in his private capacity. Feedback to robmudzvova@gmail.com