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Victor Maphosa Mashonaland East Bureau

Traditional leaders in Mashonaland East Province have embarked on a programme of planting trees, particularly fruit trees, to promote the culture of planting trees and encourage future generations to adopt the same.

Traditional leaders from the province and senior Government officials recently gathered at Chief Mutekedza’s homestead in Chikomba district for the launch of the Nhaka Muchero Implementation Programme,which seeks to complement Government efforts of planting fruit and other trees throughout the country.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Aplonia Munzverengwi, praised traditional leaders for their initiatives that feed into other Government programmes.

“It is true that we should leave an inheritance (nhaka) to our children,” she said.

“This programme, which started in Mashonaland East, should spread to all corners of the country to promote the culture of planting trees thereby leaving an inheritance to our children.

“Nhaka Muchero is a clear contribution to enhance our Gross Domestic Product as a province. Today, I would want to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all chiefs, as Government, for your continuous efforts in complementing Government and the programmes initiated by our President, Cde Mnangangwa. Madzimambo, we thank you for remaining resolute and unrelenting in positioning, preserving and promoting our                                                                               culture.”

Minister Munzverengwi added that the programme showed that traditional leaders were working well with Government, and the business community in driving national development.

“I am very glad therefore, to note that the Nhaka Muchero Programme ethos runs in harmony with what this great nation seeks to achieve.

“I therefore see that the vision of our leader, President Mnangagwa has been fully embraced by all and sundry through you, our chiefs, and want to truly thank you for that,” said Minister Munzverengwi.

Nhaka Muchero project is considered to be an anchor in achieving food and nutrition towards the attainment of the National Development Strategy 1 and Vision 2030 of an upper middle income economy.

It is aimed at enhancing socio-economic development through encouraging rural entrepreneurship, local value-addition and beneficiation as well as job creation in rural communities.

Further, the Nhaka Muchero project, as part of the Mvura Naya Naya concept, is a community rural entrepreneurship initiative from the traditional leaders in Mashonaland East Province together with Government, and other like-minded partners.

The thrust of the programme is to promote inheritance of the fruit trees to generations to enhance social, cultural and environmental preservation.

This project is also in line with the Sustainable Development Goals number 1, 2, 3 and 15 and it seeks to contribute to NDS 1 specifically on the theme on health and well-being of the community.

The phrase, “Nhaka Muchero”, refers to the long-term benefits that the fruit trees can yield and pass down to generations economically, socially and environmentally.

Turning to the request by traditional leaders for land for the Zunde raMambo project and culture centres, Minister Munzverengwi said: “We will look at it and I will tell the President that traditional leaders in Mashonaland East have taken heed of your last visit in Mutoko where you invited them to submit proposals for community development projects of their interest.”