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Courtney Matende Midlands Reporter
THE Forestry Commission has warned against the illegal extraction and selling of firewood, as use of firewood for energy is expected to increase due to power cuts.

The country’s national power utility, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), has started rolling out load shedding due to high demand, as power generation at the Kariba Hydro and Hwange thermal power plants continues to decline due to low levels of water.

In an interview recently, Midlands provincial forestry extension manager Mr Roderick Nyahwai said the commission will be enforcing the laws governing exploitation of forest produce.

“As you are aware, we are having some challenges of electricity supply, meaning that we will have a high demand for firewood, so as the Forestry Commission we want people to follow the procedures for extraction and trade of forest resources,” he said.
Mr Nyahwai encouraged people to use other sources of energy such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and solar power.

“We want people to invest in alternative sources of energy such as gas and solar to use for cooking, warmth and lighting, he said. I know energy sources such as gas are expensive and sometimes unavailable, but we still encourage people to use other sources of energy to protect forest resources.”

Mr Nyahwai said those who want to clear land for purposes such as farming should apply to the commission.
He said selling of firewood should be conducted from places designated by local authorities.

“We understand many people are just exploiting forest resources and selling them illegally and we want that to stop, said Mr Nyahwai. We will be conducting raids and will be using Statutory Instrument 112 of 2012 to confiscate firewood and impound vehicles and anything used in the illegal trade of firewood.

Other pieces of legislation that control the exploitation of forest resources include the Communal Forest Produce Act, chapter 1904 which prescribes the use of trees in communal areas.

The Forestry Act, Chapter 1905 also controls use of forest produce in protected forests, private farms and plantations.