Chefs behind timber poaching villagers

via Chefs behind timber poaching villagers 05 January 2015

ZIMBABWE’s leading timber producing companies, Border Timbers and Allied Timbers, are facing collapse after scores of politically sponsored villagers settled themselves in plantations where they have been wreaking havoc since.

The Chimanimani timber plantations have been virtually turned into small pockets of maize and rapoko fields.

Apart from destroying valuable timber for agricultural purposes, some of the villagers have been accused of wood poaching.

According to an estate manager at Border Timbers’s Charter estate, about 2,500 hectares of land have been illegally taken over by villagers who have parcelled pieces of land among themselves.

“Our hands are tied because the invasions are being coordinated by politicians who want votes from these people. Some of the politicians even own these illegal bush mills which have mushroomed in the estates,” said the estate manager who refused to be named for fear of victimisation.

The manager said the most affected estates are Zipras, Chinyai and Skyline where the illegal settlers have cleared all the timber and substituted the trees with maize and rapoko crops.

“At Skyline the invaders have also cleared all the indigenous trees which the company had left for soil conservations purposes. The soil in the area is very porous and is not suitable for any agricultural activity. The area is also mountainous,” he said.

The manager said repeated high level efforts to engage the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the politicians concerned over the rampant environmental degradation in the area have not yielded anything.

The official also accused the invaders of causing veld fires which have destroyed most of the newly planted trees.

The former MDC-T councillor for the area, Micah Chimene, said the issue of settlers in timber plantations has been going on for a very long time.

“When I was still the councillor for the area, I moved a motion in council for the eviction of the invaders from the plantations but our colleagues from Zanu (PF) were against the idea. As I speak, the council’s financial coffers are precarious because about 70 percent of its revenue comes from the two companies,” said Chimene.

Unveiling new Allied Timbers board members in Harare last year , environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere revealed that cabinet had approved the eviction of 3 500 families which he said had settled themselves in the plantations.