03 Dec 2018

Tree planting is crucial in alleviating human hunger.

This was said by the Department of Forestry and Range Resources coordinator in the South East District, Mr Sindisa Major during the district tree planting day in Taung.

Mr Major said trees supported human life in various ways such as providing shelter and food and that they were a source of income for those who sold them.

He encouraged the community to develop a habit of planting trees because as the population grew, more were needed to replace those cut to make way for development. 

The event aimed to raise awareness on the importance of trees.

Mr Major said government had an accelerated tree planting programme to address the challenges that came with development, hence the department was looking for spaces to plant more trees.

“Let us make our country green. Trees give us energy,” stated Mr Major. 

The range resources department, Kgatleng coordinator, Mr Letsholo Dithapo said there was need for communities to double efforts in planting trees and conserving them.

He said planting more trees could remedy the damage caused by activities such as cutting trees for fencing poles.

Mr Dithapo said such activities would continue to put pressure on the country’s forests.

Further, he stated that the President had an initiative that promoted planting of indigenous species, noting that celtis Africana (modutu) was selected as the tree of the year.

Mr Dithapo said it was the different plant and animal species that enhanced industries such as tourism, which had become important to the country’s economy. 

However, he said the country still had a challenge of ensuring its natural resources were used sustainably for them to benefit future generations. He advised that resources be harvested at a rate less than they could grow naturally or artificially. ENDS