City of "Green" Progress.

By Kelvin Katambarare

As part of commemorations of the tree planting day Gweru City Council held a fruitful event yesterday at the Civic Center were they managed to plant trees in line with the national theme for this year "fruit trees for food security and nutrition". Among the fruit trees planted include avocado, muzhanje (mushuku), muhute Just to name a few.

In a speech read on his behalf the Mayor pointed out that the future is in danger and there is need for all citizens to actively participate in the planting of more trees as this ensures a healthy enviroment. Notable slogan from Mr Foto a representative of the Forestry Commission " muti nhasi... Sango mangwana". In his speach he is heartbroken by the rate at which deforestation is taking place in peri-urban areas. According to the statistics he gave on average of 50-100 scotch carts and more than 30 vehicles transport firewood to the urban areas for resale. He (Mr Foto) finally demonstrated on how to plant a sapling to the audience keeping the plastic pot intact for reuse which is line with the 3Rs (Reduce, Recycle and Reuse) of protecting the environment.

All the participants were encouraged to take tree planting as culture not an event.

As a result of deforestation a lot of environment and development challenges are faced hence placing the future at risk.

Gweru City Council have engaged into partnership with other stakeholders and enviromental pressure groups in a bid to solve the enviromental crisis attached to climate change. Among the trees that were donated to Gweru City Council will be distributed to each ward to foster the spirit of enviromental stewardship at the grass roots level. This goes inline with *Subsidiarity Principle* which calls for participation and décision making pertaining the enviroment to be made at grassroots level.

Gweru City Council has a target of planting 2000 trees, they have managed to plant 1400 trees. The target was set with an aim of greening the City of Gweru and battling climate change. It should be noted that more than 16 000 hactares of land has been affected by deforestation.

Among those who attended the event include Humwe Eden Green Culture, Nyaradzo Funeral Services, Forestry Commission, Josiah Tungamirai Airbase and the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

The Deputy Mayor planted his own tree which he named "maoko mavi". It is Forestry Commission Gweru’s tradition to name all trees before they are planted and give those saplings instructions on what the planter expects from them. Gweru City Council holds a better future for the environment as they are drafting a Memorandum of Understanding with other stakeholders so as to ensure enviromental awareness has reached everyone within their areas of jurisdiction and beyond to fight against climate change and its devastating impacts.