03 Nov 2013

About 346 339 hectares of land in Ngamiland District has been destroyed by veldt fires.  

Speaking at the district Tree Planting Day recently, the manager of Barclays Bank in Shakawe, Mr Morwaake Keadimilwe said the raging fires were a threat to the sustainability of trees. He said the fires, which started in July and were still burning, had damaged Tobera, Tsodilo, Nxamasere and Gchwiihaba areas. 

Mr Keadimilwe stressed that helping prevent the spread of fire was everyone’s responsibility and advised people to be cautious and take care of the environment.  He said people should refrain from throwing away burning cigarette ends as they caused veldt fires.

The bank manager noted that the Department of Forestry and Range Resources, through Ngamiland conservation committees; held kgotla meetings annually to sensitise people about the dangers of veldt fires and encourages them to conserve the environment. 

He said so far 89 members of different villages have been trained in basic fire- fighting techniques. For his part, Shakawe district officer, Mr Bakani Mathumo also urged the public to help fight veldt fires and not leave the task entirely to public officers. 

Mr Mathumo also urged Dikgosi who were present to inform people and educate them about conserving the environment.One business woman, Ms Semaswe Kugakenge said in an interview that she has planted fruit trees such as mangoes, oranges and guava, adding that tree planting was important as it provides shade for the family and could be a source of income.  

Boscia Albitrunca (Motlopi) is the tree of the year and the theme for the event was ‘Forests for people: a key to poverty eradication.’ Ends