By Chipo Gudhe

Traditional leaders should protect the environment and play a leading role in supporting government efforts.

The clarion call was made by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Kwekwe District Environmental Officer Daniel Magombedze at a roundtable discussion held last Friday at Ward 33, Sherwood area.

Magombedze said traditional leaders are the representatives of government in the communities hence they should play a leading role in safeguarding the environment through raising awareness amongst their subjects.

“You are the eyes of the government in the community and you should protect the environment. There is need for deterrent sentences for people who indiscriminately start fires in the communities we live in and this will send a strong message to other like minded people,” he said.

He added that Ward 33 has recorded high veld fire incidents.

This ward is topping on veld fire incidents. There are so many fires being started willy-nilly and you are competing with Mashonaland West on the border of Munyati River. We should help each other to bring to book people who start wild fires to conserve the environment.

The traditional leaders said most of the fires in the ward are started by illegal gold panners who come to the gold-rich area from all over Zimbabwe to prospect.

“Most of the people who start these fires are not residents in this area. It is because we had huge gold deposits in the area and most people come to prospect and they start wildfires indiscriminately because they are not worried about what happens to the environment and properties around them, Said headman Chikambure.

Magombedze said the leaders should inform their subjects that starting veld fires is an offence.

“Notify them that starting a fire is an offence and refusal to help in extinguishing the fire is also an offence,” he said